President Trump issued a memorandum Thursday extending a pause on the hiring of new federal workers through July 15.
“No Federal civilian position that is presently vacant may be filled, and no new position may be created, except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or required by applicable law,” Trump wrote in the memo to heads of government agencies.
The president implemented the hiring freeze on Jan. 20, the first day of his second term, as part of an effort to trim the size of government and get federal agencies to implement a “merit hiring plan.”
The freeze does not apply to military personnel or to positions related to immigration enforcement, national security and public safety.
The White House is also exempted from the hiring pause.
“Contracting outside the Federal Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum is prohibited,” Trump warned.
The president also asked agency heads to consider the “efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of those services” during the pause.
“Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making reallocations or reassignments to meet the highest priority needs; maintain essential services; and protect national security, homeland security, and public safety,” the memo continued.
When the hiring freeze expires, “agencies will be able to hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service (with appropriate immigration, law enforcement, and public safety exceptions),” the White House said in a statement.
The White House described the freeze extension as a “critical step in shrinking the federal government and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently,” noting that in the final two years of the Biden administration, the government was directly responsible for 1-in-4 new jobs created.
“President Trump is committed to reversing this trend by prioritizing private-sector job growth and reducing the federal workforce to focus on essential functions,” the White House said.
In the months since the initial pause, the Trump administration has moved to fire thousands of government employees across several federal agencies, including the Department of Education, United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
