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After federal workforce cuts, DOGE chief says ‘we need to hire’ | Federal News Network
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Tangentially relevant to AI governance and safety insofar as federal workforce disruptions affect agencies responsible for AI policy, oversight, and IT modernization; limited direct AI safety content.
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Importance: 12/100news articlenews
Summary
A Federal News Network report covering statements by DOGE leadership acknowledging the need to rehire federal workers following significant workforce reductions. The piece highlights tensions between aggressive downsizing efforts and operational needs in federal IT and modernization efforts.
Key Points
- •DOGE leadership publicly acknowledged the need to hire new federal workers after prior mass cuts
- •The reversal highlights operational gaps created by rapid, large-scale federal workforce reductions
- •Federal IT modernization efforts may be hampered by loss of institutional knowledge and technical staff
- •The situation illustrates risks of poorly planned workforce reduction in technically complex government agencies
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| US Government Technology Workforce | Analysis | -- |
3 FactBase facts citing this source
| Entity | Property | Value | As Of |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Digital Service (USDS) | Annual Budget | $45 million | Jan 2026 |
| U.S. Digital Service (USDS) | Annual Budget | $20 million | Jan 2025 |
| U.S. Digital Service (USDS) | Headcount | 89 | Sep 2025 |
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After federal workforce cuts, DOGE chief says ‘we need to hire’ | Federal News Network
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IT Modernization
After federal workforce cuts, DOGE chief says ‘we need to hire’
Federal News Network reported in June that DOGE has been inviting federal employees to join the organization.
Jory Heckman @jheckmanWFED
September 4, 2025 6:28 pm
5 min read
The acting head of the U.S. DOGE Service — formerly known as the White House’s U.S. Digital Service — says the federal government needs more tech hires to provide better services to the public.
Acting USDS Administrator Amy Gleason, who also serves as a strategic advisor for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said agencies are searching for tech talent to help improve service delivery.
“We need to hire and empower great talent in government,” Gleason said at AFCEA Bethesda’s Health IT Summit on Thursday. “There’s not enough tech talent here. We need more of it.”
The Trump administration, however, has been focused on slashing the federal workforce. The Partnership for Public Service estimates that about 199, 000 employees have left the federal government so far this year.
How can agencies meet the public expectation on service delivery? Find out in our new ebook, sponsored by Verizon. Download today!
President Donald Trump has extended a governmentwide hiring freeze twice, and it is currently scheduled to expire on Oct. 15. Even once the hiring freeze lifts, the Trump administration has instructed agencies to make only one new hire for every four federal employees who leave .
The Trump administration recently outlined its plans for recruiting new hires into the federal government. But many federal tech experts have left the government or were fired under the Trump administration.
The U.S. DOGE service removed about 50 of its 200 employees in February. That same month, the General Services Administration shuttered its 18F tech shop .
Former 18F employees, in an ongoing lawsuit, claim they were “unlawfully targeted” by DOGE and its former leader Elon Musk.
The IRS, which has lost more than 25% of its total workforce under the Trump administration, has also lost about a quarter of its tech employees.
The agency’s acting chief information officer told employees in June that the agency’s IT office needs to “reset and reassess,” in light of its shrinking headcount.
Federal News Network reported in June that DOGE has been inviting federal employees to join the organization. DOGE, according to federal employees who received the messages, has been looking for tec
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