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Shapiro signs executive order aimed at attracting federal employees • Pennsylvania Capital-Star [1]

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Date: 2025-03-05 23:52:39+00:00

In an effort to fill thousands of vacancies within Pennsylvania’s government, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order Wednesday that aims to attract federal employees to work for the state.

“We have put in place a plan to quickly hire and on board former federal employees whose experience match up with our state government jobs,” Shapiro said at Pennsylvania’s second annual Commonwealth Job Fair in Harrisburg.

The executive order from Shapiro directs the Office of Administration to consider relevant federal work experience as equivalent to commonwealth work experience when it comes to the state’s top recruitment needs.

“We’re going to establish dedicated resources for former federal employees, including and especially our veterans, who have relevant work experience that we need to fill in our jobs here,” Shapiro said.

The Office of Administration has already taken a few steps towards attracting these workers, including creating a new website, pa.gov/fedworkers. This website has information and resources to help those find open jobs in state government, a list of top recruitment needs for agencies and matching high-need positions in Pennsylvania with the equivalent positions at the federal level.

Shapiro said there are currently 5,600 “critical vacancies” in Pennsylvania’s state government. He said these are openings for a wide range of positions including registered nurses, civil engineers and accountants.

“We’re working hard to hire the most qualified people to fill these important positions, and right now we have a unique opportunity to recruit federal workers who have significant experience and expertise and skills in these fields, because they’ve already done those jobs at the federal level,” Shapiro said.

In an effort to overhaul government spending, President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency has recently announced cuts to the federal government, which has resulted in the firing of federal workers across the country, including Pennsylvania.

“While I feel really sorry for a number of those federal employees who lost their jobs, understand that what I’m announcing today is not some act of charity for them, this is an act of self interest for the people of Pennsylvania, because I believe the commonwealth can benefit from the experience and expertise of these federal workers who have been forced out of their jobs,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro also mentioned the effort includes courting federal workers who “might just be looking for a change right now” and have not been laid off.

“If they’re qualified and they want to serve Pennsylvanians. Well, hear me on this. We want you on our team,” Shapiro said.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) and House Minority Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford) criticized Shapiro’s executive order while also taking a jab at the governor’s budget proposal.

“We must be thoughtful and deliberative when looking to fill state positions. Hiring the most qualified individuals should always be our focus, which does not require any Executive Order,” Pittman said in a statement. “Cutting waste, fraud and abuse from government is something an overwhelming number of taxpayers have been vocal about supporting across all levels of government. The ongoing debate in Washington, D.C. at the federal level looks to provide long-term stability for our nation, while also serving to further underscore the need forPennsylvania government to rein in spending at the state level.”

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[1] Url: https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/shapiro-signs-executive-order-aimed-at-attracting-federal-employees/

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