One week before a hiring freeze for federal agencies was set to be lifted, President Donald Trump’s administration has extended the policy by three months.
Federal agencies won’t be able to hire federal civilian employees through Oct. 15, according to a memorandum from Trump on Monday.
That means empty positions can’t be filled and new positions can’t be created — unless agency leadership, who are appointed by Trump, make an exception.
“In carrying out this memorandum, the heads of agencies shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of those services,” Trump wrote in the memorandum. “Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making staff reallocations or reassignments to meet the highest priority needs, maintain essential services, and protect national security, homeland security, and public safety.”
On Trump’s first day in office, he ordered an immediate 90-day hiring freeze. The directive was extended in April for another three months with a revised deadline of July 15.
Monday’s memorandum pushed back the deadline once again to fall 2025.
The existing exceptions to the hiring freeze will stand; agencies that deal with immigration enforcement, national security and public safety are among those allowed to continue bringing on new employees. That includes the National Weather Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The freeze also doesn’t apply to the Armed Forces or the Executive Office of the President.
In Trump’s memorandum, he said the freeze should not negatively impact “impact the provision of Social Security, Medicare, or veterans’ healthcare or benefits”
A news release from the White House said the continued freeze on hiring is aimed at growing jobs in the private sector and reducing inefficiency in the federal government.
In the first several months of Trump’s second term, more than 280,000 jobs in the federal government were cut amid efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency.
The president has tasked DOGE with slashing federal spending. DOGE’s efforts have also included a buyout program that offered employees incentives to voluntarily leave the federal government.
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