Freezing Federal Worker Hiring Will Impair the Programs They Deliver to the American Public

WASHINGTON – American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley today issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration's executive order freezing federal hiring:

Make no mistake – this action is not about making the federal government run more efficiently but rather is about sowing chaos and targeting a group of patriotic Americans that President Trump openly calls crooked and dishonest. Trump's pick to once again lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, has been quoted in private speeches saying he wants to put career civil servants in trauma.

Trump instituted a hiring freeze early in his first administration, despite warnings from the government's top watchdog agency that such blanket freezes exacerbate workforce shortages and contribute to skills gaps.

There is no legitimate rationale for slashing the size of the federal workforce. The number of federal workers has grown by roughly 6% over the past 50 years, while the U.S. population served by the federal government has increased by 57%. Meanwhile, spending on the vast shadow workforce of federal contractors has ballooned to account for 11.4% of the federal budget – nearly $760 billion annually – while just 4.3% of the budget goes to pay federal employees.

#####

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing more than 800,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.
For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center.