Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment

The Indicator from Planet Money

29-01-2025 • 9 mins

President Trump is making big moves to shrink and reshape the federal workforce. He's offered buyouts, instituted a hiring freeze, and called for prioritizing job seekers who are "passionate about the ideals of our American Republic." While his actions have drawn criticism, some see an opportunity for the new administration to improve the federal hiring process.

Today on the show, Jennifer Pahlka, Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center, tells us why, in her view, government hiring has been broken for a long time while sharing her thoughts on Trump's proposals to fix it.

Related episodes:
What happens when Social Security runs out of money? (Apple / Spotify)
Why Trump's potential tariffs are making business owners anxious (Apple / Spotify)

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