Harrisburg, PA – In March 2025, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2025-01 to fill critical vacancies in Pennsylvania’s workforce by recruiting experienced former federal employees. Today, the Shapiro Administration announced 1,350 individuals with federal work experience have been hired since the Order was signed. These roles include approximately 150 clerical positions, 130 Corrections Officer Trainees, 95 caseworkers, 50 highway construction and maintenance workers, 65 nursing positions, as well as numerous specialized roles in information technology, science, law, engineering, and skilled trades.
This pace puts the Shapiro Administration on course to hire nearly 2,000 highly qualified and experienced former federal employees to fill critical vacancies across state government by the conclusion of the Executive Order’s second year.
“Attracting great people to state government remains essential to delivering the strong, responsive services our residents expect and deserve,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver. “As more former federal workers look for an employer that values their experience, innovation, and dedication to service, the Commonwealth is proud to offer meaningful opportunities to continue their public service.”
The federal government reduced its workforce by nearly 272,000 employees since January 20, 2025, according to the Office of Personnel Management. From January 2025 to June 2026, the number of workers employed by the federal government in Pennsylvania also fell by 8,900, according to data from the Department of Labor & Industry and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last year, the Governor’s Executive Order directed the Office of Administration (OA) to identify job titles within the federal government that could be used to determine whether that experience might be used as equivalent experience for certain Commonwealth job titles, streamlining the hiring process and opening doors for highly qualified professionals.
OA moved at the speed of business to implement the executive order and capitalize on the opportunity to hire displaced federal workers to fill existing, funded vacancies in state agencies. Human resources staff used generative AI to analyze the qualifications of jobs prioritized by state agencies and identify comparable positions in the federal workforce. This information became part of the Careers for Federal Employees website which includes a list of key Commonwealth positions and their equivalent job titles in the federal government.
Over the past three years, Governor Shapiro has also expanded opportunities for Pennsylvanians who want to serve the Commonwealth by updating state job qualifications to accept more applicants without a four-year college degree; establishing new internship, apprenticeship, and fellowship programs; and creating the Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower (HIRE) Committee, led by OA Secretary Weaver, to continue developing strategies to recruit, hire, develop, and retain a strong, competitive workforce across state agencies. OA has modernized and streamlined the hiring process to fill vacancies faster; down from 90 days at the beginning of the Shapiro Administration to an all-time low of 52 days, a 42 percent reduction.
Additionally, OA has updated and enhanced benefits for Commonwealth employees and their families. They include eliminating waiting periods for new hires to enroll themselves and dependents in benefits, expanding paid parental leave from six weeks to eight weeks, increasing the number of no cost counseling sessions for mental health, substance misuse, and family issues covered by the State Employee Assistance Program (SEAP), a new commuter benefit to save money on parking and mass transit, tuition discounts for higher education, and expanding childcare for Commonwealth employees in the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.
Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been twice recognized as one of the top employers in the state and twice recognized as a top destination for high-quality internships.
For more information on employment in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, visit employment.pa.gov.
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