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 Department of Government Efficiency cuts 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 age 30 - something Trump administration officials want to change, saying it "poses long-term risks to government readiness and institutional strength."
That 7% is compared to about 22% of the non-government workforce.
"By a factor of 3:1, the federal government is massively under-indexed on early career talent," an official said.
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The focus on hiring is a shift from this time last year, when OPM was part of the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.
Last year, more than 75,000 federal employees accepted a deferred resignation program-with more than 280,000 layoffs of federal workers and contractors.
Officials defended the new hiring move as one focused on competing with the private sector, explaining the number of DOGE reductions among younger employees was minimal.
"DOGE helped cut back where government was too large or inefficient," an administration official told Fox News Digital. "This focus is on hiring-rebuilding the federal workforce with skilled early-career talent who can help tackle 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 across the federal government.
The cross-agency, early career talent network can be found at Earlycareers.gov - where officials are encouraging young people to apply as they seek to bring a "broad cohort of full-time employees into the federal workforce."
Officials say they are starting with five categories where they see current demand for early career talent- finance, human resources, engineering, project management and procurement.
Individuals will be hired "based on demonstrated talent," not on where or whether they went to college or how long they have been in a job, Fox News Digital learned.
"Building a strong pipeline of early-career talent is essential to the future of the federal workforce," OPM Director Scott Kupor said. "We are making it easier for talented individuals to connect with meaningful careers in public service while helping agencies efficiently 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 folks early in their career can come to government, work on critically important, unique projects where they learn skills that will be marketable to both the private and public sector in the future."
"He wants to make government cool again," the official said.
Officials plan to visit college and university campuses later this year to expand their recruitment efforts.
