As the Trump administration reduces its workforce significantly, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has initiated a recruitment campaign targeting federal employees. This effort comes in light of recent actions by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to streamline government operations.
Last month, the Trump administration sent out deferred resignation offers to federal employees, prompting Musk to request that all federal staff outline their accomplishments or risk termination. In response, Hochul has invited these workers to consider public-sector positions in New York, where there are currently over 7,000 job vacancies amid a tight labor market.
“The federal government might say ‘You’re fired,’ but here in New York, we say ‘You’re hired,’” Hochul stated in a video announcing the recruitment initiative. She emphasized the value of public service and expressed a particular interest in attracting FBI employees.
To facilitate this recruitment, the governor's office launched a portal with resources for potential applicants, though it is too early to assess the response. Meanwhile, a White House spokesman criticized the initiative as an attempt to increase government bureaucracy, asserting that it contradicts President Trump’s vision for job creation.
The impact of the federal job cuts in New York remains unclear, with approximately 54,000 federal workers reported in the state as of December. Trump’s administration has cut at least 28,000 federal positions since the beginning of his second term and has frozen operations in various federal agencies.
Some legal challenges have temporarily halted certain firings, while the overall federal workforce exceeds two million employees. The Office of Personnel Management declined to comment on New York's recruitment efforts.
The initiative has garnered mixed reactions. Republican minority leader William A. Barclay expressed skepticism, suggesting that the recruitment drive appears more political than practical. Conversely, former Governor David Paterson praised Hochul's approach as innovative, predicting it would appeal to federal workers facing uncertainty.