With DOGE scrutinizing the federal workforce for cuts, one potential 2028 Democrat hopeful issued an executive order aiming to fill hundreds of vacancies in his own state government while also focusing on private-sector openings.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was joined by other dignitaries during a job fair at the state Farm Show complex in Harrisburg to sign the order calling for, among other things, federal bureaucrats to be considered for a plethora of job openings in Harrisburg’s civil service.
“The commonwealth recognizes that a workforce of dedicated and talented public servants is the backbone of a responsive government that can ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services for Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said in his order.
The executive order seeks to “capitalize on federal layoffs by accepting federal work experience as equivalent to state experience for the state’s top recruitment needs,” according to a separate statement from Shapiro.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (AP/File)
The statement added there will be an emphasis on veterans and military servicemembers also having direct access to recruiter-contacts, as well as publication of the 23 highest-priority, hardest-to-fill state jobs.
“It is imperative that the commonwealth attract and retain qualified employees who are drawn to a career in public service to fill its existing vacancies,” the order reads, citing an estimated 103,700 Pennsylvanians employed by the feds in 2024.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver added in a statement that the federal workforce is “one of the most professional and qualified in the world, and we know that many federal jobs have similar duties to jobs performed by Commonwealth employees.”
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“This executive order will help individuals with federal work experience find relevant job opportunities, continue their public service careers, and put their skills to work for the people of Pennsylvania,” Weaver said.
While Shapiro’s order aims to encourage qualified federal workers to relocate up I-83 to Harrisburg, a source familiar with his efforts noted that the governor remains committed to an all-encompassing strategy to attract top talent to Pennsylvania’s public and private sectors.
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The day before he issued his order focused on state government jobs, Shapiro was in Pittsburgh meeting with private-sector leaders at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, seeking to boost economic growth in western Pennsylvania.
There, Shapiro spoke about his energy “lightning plan” to increase jobs while reducing costs, saying, “We haven’t done anything meaningful on energy generation since the [Ed] Rendell administration: It’s time for us to lead again.”
Shapiro also held a phone call with tech billionaire Elon Musk in October. The governor said neither of them discussed politics but instead investment in Pennsylvania.
In the past, a source familiar with the Shapiro administration’s work suggested he bore the mantle of increasing government efficiency before the Trump-Musk endeavor to cut federal government waste began, given his unofficial and oft-repeated slogan: “Get s–t done.”
Conservatives, however, swiftly criticized Shapiro’s order, with the state House minority leader suggesting any vacant government jobs first be deemed necessary to begin with.
“While President Trump is using his mandate to lead the federal government in an unprecedented effort to right-size itself in true responsibility to the taxpayers, finding ways to add to our bureaucracy here in Pennsylvania sends us in the wrong direction,” said state Rep. Jesse Topper, R-McConnellsburg.
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“When a job becomes vacant in Pennsylvania’s administrative apparatus, the question should first be asked if it is truly needed rather than how quickly it can be filled,” Topper continued, adding that the focus should be on “state-specific ways to get our fiscal house in order.”
Meanwhile, a potential 2026 Shapiro opponent said the governor’s order will “make living in Pennsylvania worse.”
“He’s already proposed an unsustainable, job-killing $51 billion budget, and yet that’s not enough for him,” said state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg.
“Now he wants to continue his spending spree with this grandstanding, desperately trying to draw attention to himself politically. Meanwhile, he doesn’t bat an eye as he destroys Pennsylvania’s economy and ruins the lives and livelihood of our families.”
Mastriano notably launched an effort last week to establish Pennsylvania’s own version of the federal Department of Government Efficiency.
