Study: Government Must Hire Thousands Now

Thursday, September 3, 2009 5:16 PM

By: Michael Kling

The federal government must go on a massive hiring binge, hiring over 270,000 people over the next three years, according to a study by the think tank Partnership for Public Service.

Almost 600,000 positions, close to a third of the current federal workforce, should be filled over Obama’s four-year term.

National security, services for veterans, and retiring workers are driving job demand, according the think tank. The Department of Veteran Affairs needs to fill over 48,100 jobs, Homeland Security 65,700 plus, and the Department of Defense 43,500.

The government especially needs medical professionals, including over 31,400 nurses and 10,600 doctors.

Another 52,000 security workers are needed. The government will also need attorneys, engineers, and professionals in human resources, taxes, and technology.

The group bases its conclusions on a survey of 35 federal agencies covering almost the entire 1.9 million federal workforce.

Intelligence agencies expect to hire 5,500 people next year and about the same number over the next two years, Ronald P. Sanders, a human resources executive at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, told The Washington Post.

"It's a combination of how much turnover we expect and how much growth we expect in our budget," Sanders said.

The feds will have difficulty drawing good employees from the private sector, Stier said. “Fixing the hiring process is a key component in making it work.â€