Hundreds of former federal workers have applied for Pennsylvania state government jobs amid DOGE layoffs
Pennsylvania has received approximately 1,100 applications for open state jobs from people who previously worked for the federal government, a spokesperson said.
Hundreds of former federal employees have applied for vacancies in Pennsylvania’s state government since Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order two weeks ago giving them hiring preference for state jobs amid firings and layoffs across the federal workforce.
As of Monday, the commonwealth has received approximately 1,100 applications from roughly 700 people with experience in the federal workforce, said Daniel Egan, a spokesperson for the Office of Administration.
The applicants are still in the hiring process, and it’s unclear how many of those 700 were recently unemployed by the federal government.
Shapiro, a Democrat, signed an executive order on March 5 directing state agencies to give preferential hiring treatment to fired federal workers, many of whom have transferable skills to the state government.
Individuals who worked similar or equivalent jobs in the federal government would be considered “pre-qualified” for a more time-efficient hiring process, Shapiro said during a news conference announcing the executive order.
» READ MORE: Pennsylvania state government wants to hire fired federal workers, Gov. Josh Shapiro says
The governor’s announcement came as federal employees have borne the brunt of many cuts made by President Donald Trump’s administration and the Department of Government Efficiency created by Trump billionaire adviser Elon Musk, which has slashed federal workforces, grants, and leases in Pennsylvania and nationwide in an attempt to reduce government spending.
The commonwealth has created a landing page on the state’s website where federal workers can view Pennsylvania’s recruitment needs. The number of job openings change from day to day as postings are added or removed, Egan said. As of Monday afternoon, there were 665 job openings on the site, and a single posting can be used to fill several vacancies of the same job title, Egan said.
The top positions applied to by those who have worked in the federal government include “Unemployment Compensation Claims Intake Interviewer,” “Driver License Examiner Assistant,” and “Clerical Assistant,” according to list provided by the Office of Administration. Other popular positions include administrative positions and jobs in public health, information technology, or the parks.
In 2024, approximately 103,700 Pennsylvanians were employed by the federal government, but “due to recent events, many experienced and talented public servants … may be unemployed or seeking new employment,” according to Shapiro’s executive order.
“As Governor Shapiro has made clear, this undertaking is not an act of charity,” Egan said in a statement Monday. “This is an opportunity to take advantage of the availability of experience and talent to potentially fill critical vacancies we have here in the Commonwealth – and we will be working to ensure we maximize this opportunity.”
Other nearby states have highlighted their own procedures for ushering laid-off federal workers into state jobs.
The New Jersey Department of Labor has outlined its unemployment and career services as residents continue to face the impacts of government layoffs. And, similar to Pennsylvania, Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore has launched an initiative to recruit laid-off federal employees to work for the state.