Democratic Governors Launch Initiatives to Attract Laid-Off Federal Workers

News
Alex Bollinger
March 2, 2025
9 minutes read

(Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)

Federal workers dismissed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency may find new opportunities in Democratic-led states, where governors are actively recruiting them, NBC News reported. “In light of the thousands of federal job cuts doled out by President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk via the Department of Government Efficiency, a growing number of governors, mostly Democrats, have begun trying to woo those employees to apply for state government jobs.

Others have promoted private sector opportunities and other resources available for those who are newly in the job market,” wrote reporter Adam Edelman. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) launched the “You’re Hired” initiative, assembling a job board featuring open state positions. In a video announcement, she declared, “The federal government might say, ‘You’re fired,’ but here in New York, we say, ‘You’re hired.’

We love federal workers. Whatever your skills, we value public service.” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) followed suit, signing an executive order last week to implement an “expedited hiring process for qualified federal workers.” NBC News reported, “The effort aims to provide such candidates who’ve applied for Hawaii jobs with a conditional job offer within two weeks of their application submission.”

Several other Democratic-led states have also introduced initiatives aimed at easing the transition for newly unemployed federal workers, offering job placement services and financial resources. Even one Republican governor has joined the effort. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), despite supporting DOGE’s mission to cut government waste, launched a website titled the “Federal Worker Resource Bundle,” which provides information on unemployment benefits, job searching, and healthcare options.

“Come experience those powerful words of ‘you are hired,’” Youngkin stated at a news conference. According to The New Yorker, approximately 30,000 federal workers have received termination notices since DOGE began operations in January, out of a total workforce of 2 million. Musk has claimed that DOGE aims to trim $2 trillion from the federal budget.

The efforts by Democratic and some Republican leaders signal a growing divide over the impacts of government downsizing and how best to support displaced federal employees.