A growing number of former federal workers are struggling to find new jobs in the private sector due to a combination of factors, including hiring freezes, mass layoffs, and perceptions of limited competence. According to estimates by The New York Times, 135,000 federal employees have been laid off since President Donald Trump took office for the second time.
Those who have lost their jobs, like a former CDC employee, report having difficulty finding employment despite having relevant experience in the private sector. “It feels like there’s a perception that if you worked in the federal government, you must be slow or not used to real deadlines,” said one former FDA employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another challenge facing former federal workers is the fact that their skills are often specialized and may not translate easily to private sector jobs. “My skills are very specific to work at my job as a federal worker,” said another former SSA employee, who has given up looking for new employment due to the challenges of moving to the private sector.
Experts say that age discrimination and perceptions of limited competence in the federal workforce are contributing factors to the difficulty faced by former workers. “There may be several factors involved” in making it difficult for federal workers to get new jobs, says David H. Rosenbloom, a public administration professor at American University.
The situation is further complicated by broader economic issues, including a decline in job vacancies and higher unemployment rates among young graduates. As the hiring freeze expires in July, some Americans are hoping to join the federal government after completing a series of essays as part of the job recruitment process.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/fired-federal-workers-employees-jobs-market-2087217