Trump administration launching Gen Z hiring push for federal government

EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration is launching a new effort to “make government cool again” by hiring Gen Z workers to rebuild the federal talent pipeline after a year of cuts to Government Department efficiencies and to compete more aggressively with the private sector, Fox News Digital has learned.

Officials told Fox News Digital that only about 7% of the federal workforce is under the age of 30 — something Trump administration officials want to change, saying it “poses long-term risks to government readiness and institutional strength.”

This 7% is compared to approximately 22% of the non-government workforce.

“By a ratio of 3:1, the federal government is massively under-indexed for early-career talent,” one official said.

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A sign marks the location of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management building, January 29, 2025, in Washington, DC. (J.David Ake/Getty Images)

The emphasis on hiring is a change from this time last year, when OPM was part of the Department of Government Effectiveness’ efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Last year, more than 75,000 federal employees agreed to a deferred resignation program, resulting in the layoffs of more than 280,000 federal employees and contractors.

Officials defended the new hiring decision as focused on competition with the private sector, explaining that the number of DOGE cuts among younger employees was minimal.

“DOGE helped reduce spending where government was too big or inefficient,” an administration official told Fox News Digital. “This focus is on hiring and rebuilding the federal workforce with qualified, early-career talent who can help meet the challenges facing our country.”

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The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in partnership with the White House, is launching a new “Early Career Talent Network” designed to connect emerging professionals with full-time career opportunities within the federal government.

The Interagency Early Career Talent Network can be found at Earlycareers.gov – where officials encourage young people to apply as they seek to enter a “large cohort of full-time employees into the federal workforce.”

Managers say they’re starting with five categories where they see current demand for early-career talent: finance, human resources, engineering, project management and procurement.

Scott Kupor, OPM Director (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Individuals will be hired “based on their demonstrated talents,” not based on where they attended college or how long they have been employed, Fox News Digital has learned.

“Building a strong pipeline of early-career talent is critical to the future of the federal workforce,” said OPM Director Scott Kupor. “We make it easier for talented people to find meaningful careers in public service while helping agencies effectively identify the talent they need to deliver results for the American people.”

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An official told Fox News Digital that Kupor wants to “get the word out that people early in their careers can come into government, working on unique and critically important projects where they learn skills that will be marketable in both the private and public sector in the future.” »

“He wants to restore composure to the government,” the official said.

Officials plan to visit college and university campuses later this year to step up their recruiting efforts. (Getty)

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Officials plan to visit college and university campuses later this year to step up their recruiting efforts.