The Department of Government Efficiency formally sunsets on July 4, 2026, prompting federal agencies to launch massive hiring campaigns to address severe staffing shortages across the United States government.
According to data from USAJobs, federal job postings surged from over 68,900 in the latter half of 2025 to more than 104,000 during the first five months of 2026.
The temporary organization leaves behind an evolving public record claiming $215 billion in savings, though its official dashboard currently details only about 30 percent of those contract and lease cancellations.
Mixed Reactions from Rehired Workers
Former National Endowment for the Humanities worker Molly Hardy described her experience when the agency reached out to rehire her after previous layoffs.
“Affirming, but in a way that was so sick and twisted,” said Hardy, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ 2024 employee of the year.
Hardy ultimately declined the employment offer due to the emotional toll of the situation.
“It didn’t feel good, it just felt really sad,” Hardy stated.
Office of Personnel Management Head Scott Kupor indicated that the administration is shifting away from its prior goal of reducing the federal headcount.
“I’m not hearing that,” said Kupor, the head of the Office of Personnel Management.
Kupor noted that the current efforts focus on restructuring the workforce to align with administrative goals.
“Do we have the right headcount for the priorities of the administration?
And where we don’t, let’s make sure we go figure out how to fill those gaps,” Kupor explained.
Addressing the ongoing adjustments, Kupor acknowledged that right-sizing the agencies remains an unfinished, continuous process.
“It’s not surprising to me that we’re not at the finish line,” Kupor noted.
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DOGE Service administrator Amy Gleason highlighted the government's renewed focus on bringing external experts back into public service.
“One of the biggest things we do is recruit that top-tier talent to be able to come in and bring expertise to the government,” said Gleason.
Various departments are rapidly rebuilding, including the Department of Health and Human Services, which seeks to hire 12,000 staff members following previous cuts of 10,000 workers.
A Social Security Administration staff member criticized the internal reassignments used to manage phone lines during the staffing transition.
“They’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said an anonymous Social Security Administration employee.
