DOGE spent months slashing jobs. Now its leader says the government needs to hire again

"The Department of Government Efficiency made its reputation on staff cuts. Under Elon Musk, DOGE slashed the federal payroll in the name of cost-cutting. Now, the division's new leader is urging the government to start hiring again. Amy Gleason, acting head of DOGE, spoke last week at the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International Health IT Summit about the "need to hire and empower great talent in government." "There's not enough tech talent here," she said at the time. "We need more of it.""

"That's a pretty major reversal for DOGE. While the government hasn't provided an exact tally of layoffs earlier this year, The New York Times estimates 135,000 employees were fired or resigned, with another 150,000 at risk. Gleason isn't calling for all of them to return, but she did argue for hiring more technical staff to modernize outdated government systems within five years."

"The government remains under a hiring freeze, extended twice already, through at least October 15. (And it has already been extended twice, once in April and once again in July.) It's also something of an open question as to which of those public-facing systems will continue. The Trump administration canceled the IRS Direct File program-ending free online tax filing for eligible taxpayers after just one season-and ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to halt nearly all operations, effectively shuttering the agency."

The Department of Government Efficiency built its reputation on staff cuts and reduced the federal payroll under Elon Musk. Amy Gleason, acting head of DOGE, called for hiring and empowering technical talent to modernize outdated government systems within five years. The New York Times estimated 135,000 employees were fired or resigned earlier this year, with another 150,000 at risk. A federal hiring freeze remains in place through at least October 15, creating an immediate obstacle to new hiring. The IRS Direct File program was canceled and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was ordered to halt nearly all operations. DOGE claims to have saved $205 billion.

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