Governors to fired federal workers: We're hiring
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.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, launched a recruiting effort this week, dubbed the 'You're Hired' initiative, specifically targeting federal workers who have lost their jobs as a result of DOGE's cost-cutting efforts. Her office has assembled a job board of open New York state positions.
'The federal government might say, 'You're fired,' but here in New York, we say, 'You're hired,'' Hochul said in a Tuesday video announcing the initiative. 'We love federal workers. Whatever your skills, we value public service.'
Last week, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, signed an executive order instituting an expedited hiring process for qualified federal workers who'd recently lost their jobs seeking employment in state government positions. 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.
'As we witness the very quickly changing landscape of the federal government, federal workforce and federal policies, this order directs state agencies to review candidates and make a conditional job offer within 14 days of receiving an individual's application,' Green said in a statement announcing the initiative.
At least one Republican governor has gotten in on the effort, too, by trying to advertise private sector jobs to fired federal workers.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, where approximately 340,000 federal workers live, has praised the DOGE initiative while his administration has also launched a website effort to tout the 250,000 open positions across Virginia.
His administration's ' Federal Worker Resource Bundle,' also includes information about applying for unemployment benefits, preparing for a job search, and understanding health care options.
"Come work here," Youngkin said at a press conference this week. "Come experience those powerful words of 'you are hired.' Take advantage of the resources that will help you find your pathway to that career of your dreams."
Thousands of federal workers have been terminated from agencies and departments across the federal government as a result of DOGE, though the exact number is unclear.
Democratic governors in other states haven't gone as far as actively recruiting fired federal workers, but have launched programs designed to provide them with resources to ease their unemployment.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's administration, for instance, set up a ' Maryland Public Servants Resource Website ' earlier this month intended to serve a centralized location for fired federal workers to seek assistance.
The website includes information on unemployment insurance, job boards, and resources related to health insurance, housing, veterans' services and legal services. Maryland is home to at least 160,000 federal civilian jobs.
'The White House continues to take actions that jeopardize the livelihoods of our public servants and upend how the federal government can best serve the American people and advance our shared priorities,' Moore said in a statement announcing the site. 'We still hope we can move in partnership with this new administration to address common goals. But in light of recent actions that are hurting Marylanders, we must step up to defend our people.'
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham launched a similar resource website for fired federal workers earlier this week.
The site includes job boards, career education, training and recruitment events for positions in both the public and private sectors, as well as resources regarding unemployment insurance.
'We are committed to ensuring that New Mexicans who have been abruptly dismissed from federal jobs have the resources and support they need to transition smoothly into new career opportunities,' Lujan Grisham said in a Monday statement announcing the effort.
Several other Democratic governors have spoken out in recent weeks about wanting to help fired federal workers in their states.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, for example, quickly issued statements and information for fired workers this month alerting them to their legal rights and the legal and financial resources available to them within days of DOGE's first termination efforts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
24 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment Sir Keir Starmer arrives for showdown talks with Donald Trump as PM's plane lands ahead of trip to Turnberry
First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president during his five-day visit to the country SUMMIT UP Moment Sir Keir Starmer arrives for showdown talks with Donald Trump as PM's plane lands ahead of trip to Turnberry Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR Keir Starmer has arrived in Scotland for showdown talks with President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister is visiting the US leader's Turnberry estate in South Ayrshire today. 4 Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Scotland ahead of talks with Donald Trump Credit: Stephen Gibson / Buchanan Photos 4 The Prime Minister is expected to raise the situation in Gaza and British steel exports Credit: Getty 4 John Swinney will also meet with the US leader Credit: PA 4 President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sealed a trade deal between the US and EU on Sunday Credit: Reuters Sir Keir is expected to raise the prospect of reviving ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas amid the humanitarian crisis engulfing Gaza. Fears are growing in the international community over mass starvation in the region. The Labour leader is also likely to discuss the future of tariffs on British steel. Sir Keir and Mr Trump have built a rapport on the world stage, despite their differing political backgrounds. The Republican leader has previously praised the PM for doing a "very good job" so far in government. First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president during his five-day visit to the country. He said he will urge Mr Trump to place pressure on Israel to agree to a lasting ceasefire and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Mr Swinney told BBC Breakfast: "I think what's important is that we focus on the solutions that are required now, and the absolutely immediate situation is a necessity for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to need to flow into Gaza so that the people of Gaza can be saved from the starvation that they face. "And that is the blunt human reality of the situation that we face, and there must be an intensification of pressure on Israel. "And I think President Trump is ideally positioned. In fact, he's perhaps uniquely positioned to apply that pressure to Israel to ensure that there is safe passage for humanitarian aid to support the people of Gaza, who face an absolutely unbearable set of circumstances as a consequence of the conflict. TRUMP V WINDMILLS "And a key part of that must be the application of a durable ceasefire, the flow of humanitarian aid and the progress towards a two state solution in the Middle East." Mr Swinney also said he would use his meeting with President Trump to press him to exempt Scotch whisky from US trade tariffs. The SNP leader said the "uniqueness" of malt made in Scotland justified the exemption from the 10 per cent tariff applied on UK exports into the US. Sir Keir and Mr Trump are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine, which Number 10 said would include "applying pressure" on Vladimir Putin to end the invasion, before travelling on together for a private engagement in Aberdeen. It comes after Mr Trump announced he had agreed "the biggest deal ever made" between the US and the European Union after meeting Ursula von der Leyen for high-stakes talks at Turnberry yesterday. Speaking ahead of his meeting with Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: "We're meeting about a lot of things. We have our trade deal and it's been a great deal. "It's good for us. It's good for them and good for us. "I think the UK is very happy. They've been trying for 12 years to get it and they got it. "It's a great trade deal for both, works out very well. We'll be discussing that. "I think we're going to be discussing a lot about Israel. They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen. "He's doing a very good job, by the way." Mr Trump's private trip to Scotland comes ahead of a planned state visit to the UK in September.
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Thailand and Cambodia agree 'immediate ceasefire' after days of deadly fighting as Trump is hailed for 'decisive mediation'
The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end their border clashes, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday, following talks in Malaysia between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. Ibrahim said following mediation in Malaysia: 'Both Cambodia and Thailand reached a common understanding as follows: One, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with effect from 24 hours local time, midnight on 28th July 2025, tonight.' Cambodia's prime minister Hun Manet praised US president Donald Trump for his 'decisive mediation' following the border dispute that flared up last week. This story is developing, more to follow.
Reuters
25 minutes ago
- Reuters
Fed expected to keep rates unchanged as it sifts through mixed economic data
July 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. central bank, to President Donald Trump's chagrin, will likely leave interest rates unchanged at a policy meeting this week, but that's not to say there won't be a vigorous debate, with one if not two Federal Reserve governors possibly casting a rare dissent in support of lower borrowing costs. The majority of Fed policymakers, though, remain concerned that Trump's tariffs could undo progress on bringing inflation back to the central bank's 2% goal, outweighing for now worries about the labor market. The trade deal struck between the U.S. and Japan last week, with tariffs set at 15%, and reported progress for a similar rate in talks with the European Union make it more likely that import duties overall will end up well below the punishing levels Trump announced on his April 2 "Liberation Day." Even so, U.S. tariffs are at their highest level in 90 years, and the effects are starting to show up in household purchases. A surge in prices of goods like furnishings and apparel helped drive overall consumer inflation to an annualized 3.5% pace in June. So soon after a bout of 40-year-high inflation, policymakers fear fast-rising prices could "freak out" households, as Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee sometimes phrases it, triggering a wider inflationary spiral. While Fed Chair Jerome Powell says that is only one of many possible scenarios, he has argued the central bank can wait to learn more before adjusting rates, especially with a 4.1% unemployment rate near or below estimates of full employment. Other data and the outlook amid Trump's broader economic program, including tax cuts and deregulation, invite differing views on the central bank's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee. "Considering the clear divergence in the near-term policy outlook between (Fed Governor Christopher) Waller and (Fed Vice Chair of Supervision Michelle) Bowman and the other FOMC participants, we expect both Waller and Bowman to dissent in favor of a 25-bp (basis-point) cut," wrote analysts at Nomura Securities, one of several Wall Street firms predicting the first double dissent from Fed governors since 1993. Both Waller and Bowman were appointed to the Board of Governors by Trump, who has excoriated Powell for resisting the White House's demand for an immediate rate cut and broached the idea of firing the Fed chief before his term expires next May. Last week, during a rare but tense visit to the Fed's headquarters in Washington, Trump once again pressed the case for lower rates, though he also said he didn't think it was necessary to fire Powell. Waller, who has been mentioned as a possible successor to Powell, sees private-sector job growth nearing stall speed and fears companies could turn to layoffs in the absence of easier credit conditions. Private-sector hiring accounted for just half of the gain of 147,000 U.S. jobs in June, and Waller says other data suggests even that reading overestimates the true increase. Bowman has also expressed worries about labor market deterioration and feels a rate cut may be needed to prevent it. Both are skeptical tariffs will lead to persistent inflation. Several others, including Boston Fed President Susan Collins, also see recent muted price increases as suggesting tariffs may not push up inflation as much as earlier thought. Ahead of the scheduled release on Wednesday of the Fed's policy statement, the Commerce Department is widely expected to report that economic activity reaccelerated in the second quarter, pushing total output above $30 trillion in non-inflation-adjusted terms for the first time. That may shore up Trump's bragging rights to what he says is a U.S. economy that would take off like a rocket if only the Fed cut rates. But central bankers will see it as more ambiguous. The expected increase follows a first-quarter drop in GDP from a historic rush to front-run Trump's tariffs on imports from U.S. trading partners. "While a sharp reversal in imports will mechanically boost Q2 GDP, tariff-induced cost pressures, persistent policy uncertainty, severely curtailed immigration, and elevated interest rates are collectively dampening employment, business investment and household consumption," wrote Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon. "The U.S. economy continues to navigate a complex set of cross-currents, obscuring a clear reading of its underlying momentum." Consumer spending, accounting for two-thirds of economic output, has been reasonably strong, with retail sales rising more than expected last month. Though household bank account balances are lower on a year-over-year basis, data from the JPMorganChase Institute last week suggests overall cash reserves are in better shape. Bank credit extended to consumers and businesses is up from the prior year for the first time in more than two years, Fed data shows. Similarly, loan volume and demand rose beginning in late May after sluggish or no growth since the year began, a Dallas Fed survey shows, and bankers expect increased economic activity and rising credit demand through the end of this year. In another sign the economy isn't rolling over, Fed data shows manufacturing output grew last quarter, albeit by a slower 2.1% annualized pace than the first quarter's 3.7% pace. A measure of how fully firms are using their resources edged up to 77.6% in June from 77.5% in May. Still, business investment may be faltering. Data on Friday showed non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft unexpectedly dropped 0.7% in June as firms grew more cautious about spending. Other data points to a weakening economy, bolstering the minority argument for rate cuts soon. Employment growth has slowed and hiring breadth is narrowing, led by just a few service-providing sectors. Finding a job after losing one is getting harder. Half of those collecting unemployment benefits remain on the jobless rolls for at least two-and-a-half months. And the housing and construction sectors are clearly on the back foot, feeling the drag of 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hovering near 7%. Overall construction spending has fallen for nine straight months - a streak unseen since the 2007-2009 financial crisis - and new single-family home starts were the lowest in nearly a year in June. Sales of new and existing homes remain anemic. "Weak housing demand is convincing evidence that rates are still restrictive, with factors like a softening labor market and high uncertainty possibly also weighing on demand," Citi economists wrote.
