Job applications posted on Indeed by federal government workers at agencies under review by the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a Trump administration team tasked with slashing federal spending, surged 50% in February, according to the jobs site.
Findings by Indeed indicate those who’ve lost a job, or fear they will, are looking but, given their skills, they said they are entering a difficult job market.
“The surge in applications from this generally well-educated and highly specialized segment of the workforce comes as growth in job openings remains muted overall, particularly for the kinds of knowledge worker roles likely to be sought by displaced federal workers,” Indeed said.
The jobs site noted the largest spike in applications from workers with federal government backgrounds come from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Agriculture and the Federal Aviation Administration, ending February at 75% above the previous peak levels in 2022.
A small increase in job search activity by federal workers after presidential inaugurations is not uncommon, though Indeed called this spike in activity “unprecedented.”
It added that “corresponding rises of this magnitude did not occur after the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections.”
Among most frequent search terms by federal workers actively searching on Indeed in February were “part-time,” “hiring immediately,” “remote work from home,” “human resources,” “administrative assistant,” “security” and “accounting.”
Indeed singled out the share of searches for “horticulture” and “employee relations” as likely signs of job search coming from workers impacted by diversity, equity and inclusion cutbacks and job cuts at the USDA.
Indeed’s full Hiring Lab report is online.
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