After mass layoffs, government officials have historically sought to tap talent from these pools, as seen in 2022 and 2023. Now, a wave of layoffs at the federal level is occurring in an effort to make government more efficient — leaving affected skilled technical workers open for hiring.
Through the March 5 signing of Executive Order 2025-01 (EO), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is aiming to fill “critical vacancies” in the state workforce with experienced former federal employees with varied specialized backgrounds. Notably, the EO calls for the state to consider relevant federal work experience as equivalent to that within the state workforce.
“We know there’s a lot of great talent at the federal level, including IT employees or those in the IT sector, and we want to bring that here to Pennsylvania to help us serve our residents,” Pennsylvania CIO Amaya Capellán told Government Technology in a written statement.
As Capellán explained, the governor is taking advantage of an opportunity to “recruit additional highly skilled workers to help us transform digital services and deliver results for the people we serve,” echoing Shapiro’s sentiments that this action is in the state’s self-interest. Capellán detailed that because states often work closely with federal agencies on programming, the federal-level perspective from those collaborations can support state work in Pennsylvania.
The state has launched a new website as part of the EO in an effort to share information about roles in state government, to simplify the process of connecting former federal staff with state workforce opportunities. The new site also simplifies the state process by which former federal employees can file for unemployment benefits.
Users can also search for jobs with a keyword, like “technology,” to find open roles with the state.
The Pennsylvania EO will remain in effect until the governor amends or rescinds it.
SIMILAR STATE-LEVEL EFFORTS
Pennsylvania is not the only state that has implemented a creative strategy to address staffing shortages in the IT workforce, with many having embraced nontraditional hiring methods like skills-based hiring and remote work options.
Since a significant number of federal employees have left their roles in 2025 — one estimate counts more than 100,000 job cuts thus far — other governors have taken actions akin to Shapiro’s, to attract this talent.
Hawaii established an initiative in a February EO to expedite the state hiring process for qualified candidates, citing the changing landscape of the federal government. The state is using this effort to recruit in various fields including engineering and IT professionals.
Maryland launched a website in February intended to be a hub for federal employees and contractors impacted by layoffs, firings and funding cuts. The site includes access to legal resources and other information.
New Mexico has unveiled a website with resources targeting federal workers to support them in the transition from their previous roles.
A New York endeavor launched in February aims to offer resources and support for former federal workers looking to take advantage of state workforce opportunities.
A Virginia initiative commenced in February aims to connect job seekers with state career opportunities in the public and private sectors.
There has also been action at the local level aiming to attract affected federal employees; in Atlanta, the City Council adopted a resolution Feb. 1 “urging state and local governments to expedite hiring procedures to absorb talented federal employees impacted by recent layoffs.”
