Trump Administration Increases Federal Hiring After Musk Downsizing

The Trump administration has begun increasing federal hiring following a year of aggressive downsizing directed by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Job announcements on the federal hiring portal rose 23% in March 2026, with a focus on recruiting attorneys, project managers, and technical staff.

President Donald Trump's 2027 budget proposal suggests a modest increase in total full-time equivalent employment, though the plan emphasizes institutional churn. Headcounts are slated to decrease at NASA and the departments of Agriculture, Education, and Labor, while increasing at the departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, and Transportation.

Scott Kupor, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, is utilizing social media and the EarlyCareers.gov site to attract young tech talent. Despite these recruiting drives, the administration is expected to sign an executive order reclassifying up to 50,000 employees to make them easier to terminate.

The American Federation of Government Employees and the Partnership for Public Service have criticized the shift. Union advocates argue that current hiring efforts follow arbitrary mass firings that demolished workforce morale, while the Partnership for Public Service suggests the administration is simply recovering ground lost during chaotic cuts.