Harrisburg, PA – One year ago, 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 that more than 800 former federal employees have joined the Commonwealth workforce since the order was signed, bringing specialized expertise to state agencies and helping deliver essential programs and services that millions of Pennsylvanians rely on every day.
“When Governor Shapiro signed this Executive Order last year, we made a commitment to seize the opportunity to keep talented public servants in government service,” said Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver, whose office is responsible for recruitment and hiring for state agencies under the Governor’s jurisdiction. “Federal employees bring world-class training and a deep commitment to public service. By tapping into their expertise, we’ve strengthened our workforce and improved the delivery of programs and services that Pennsylvanians depend on every day.”
The federal government reduced its workforce by over 242,000 employees in 2025. The Governor’s Executive Order signed last March directed the Office of Administration (OA) to accept federal government experience as equivalent to Commonwealth experience, streamlining the hiring process and opening doors for highly qualified professionals. Today, these hires are making an impact across state agencies, serving in law enforcement, public safety, human services, health care, and other critical roles serving Pennsylvanians.
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 a new website, Careers for Federal Employees, that includes a list of key Commonwealth positions and their equivalent job titles in the federal government. The initiative was supported by strong collaborations, including Civic Match, a talent-matching program by Work for America, which connects experienced federal workers with state and local government jobs nationwide. Through virtual job fairs and targeted outreach, Civic Match has helped the Commonwealth reach hundreds of qualified candidates and accelerate hiring.
Over the past three years, Governor Shapiro has 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 54 days currently, a 40 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 as a top destination for internships.
For more information on employment in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, visit employment.pa.gov.
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