Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The state of New York is seeking to recruit federal employees in Washington who have recently been laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
An advertisement for New York’s recruitment drive on March 3 is displayed on digital signboards inside Union Station, the bustling train station in the nation’s capital. It showcases the Statue of Liberty mimicking Uncle Sam’s iconic “I Want You” pose with the slogan: “DOGE said you’re fired? We say you’re hired! New York wants you!”
The reference is to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a team led by entrepreneur Elon Musk and appointed by President Donald Trump to identify ways to reduce government spending and eliminate excessive regulations.
Guided by DOGE, Trump has, in the early stages of his second term, closed the U.S. Agency for International Development and initiated steps to potentially shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. There have also been discussions about the complete elimination of the Department of Education.
As part of the administration’s restructuring efforts, federal employees have been offered “deferred resignations,” which provide paid leave to those who voluntarily leave government positions. Following a federal court ruling that allowed the initiative to proceed, around 75,000 federal workers have accepted the buyouts.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has instructed agencies to evaluate and terminate all probationary employees who are not considered high-performing or mission-critical. According to government data maintained by OPM, as of March 2024, approximately 220,000 workers with less than a year of job experience fall into this category.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul aims to attract these displaced federal workers to fill the vacancies within her administration.
The state of New York currently employs about 180,000 individuals but has over 7,000 positions left unfilled, according to Hochul’s office. Some of the most sought-after roles that are currently available include positions for attorneys, engineers, nurses, and IT specialists.
“While the federal government may say ‘You’re fired,’ here in New York, we say ‘You’re hired,'” stated the Democratic governor in a video message promoting the recruitment campaign.
The Trump administration has criticized New York state’s recruitment drive as an attempt to enlarge an already inflated bureaucracy.
“Leave it to the failed New York state bureaucracy to expand their payrolls with more bureaucrats at the expense of the overburdened taxpayers of New York,” remarked White House spokesperson Harrison Fields to The Epoch Times. “Growing the public sector does not align with President Trump’s vision of job creation.”
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New York is not the only state reaching out to the displaced federal workers in Washington. Maryland and Virginia, where many affected individuals reside, have also launched their own recruitment and assistance programs.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, announced on Feb. 28 that his administration is simplifying the hiring process to help displaced federal workers secure new government positions. This initiative builds upon an online job portal introduced two weeks ago, aimed at matching former federal employees with available job opportunities.
In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has introduced a new job website connecting job seekers to 250,000 open positions, including roles at companies such as LEGO, Micron, Amazon, Capital One, Liebherr Mining Equipment, and Electro-Mechanical.
The Virginia Employment Commission is also providing job placement assistance, with a maximum unemployment benefit of $387 per week.
Youngkin announced the initiative while expressing support for the Trump administration’s efforts to revamp federal agencies.
“I have a great deal of empathy for the many workers in Virginia today—from our federal workforce—who are facing genuine concerns,” he stated during a Feb. 24 press conference.
“We have an inefficient federal government, and we have an administration that is tackling the challenge of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse and promoting efficiency in our federal government. It’s a necessary step.”
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sentence: The cat is sitting on the windowsill, watching the birds outside.
The cat perches on the windowsill, observing the birds outdoors.