Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington signed an executive order on Wednesday directing state agencies to give hiring preference to federal employees in an effort to fill 5,600 current state job openings.

The order “directs the Office of Administration to accept federal government experience as equivalent to Commonwealth work experience for civil service roles, ensuring former federal employees with valuable experience can more easily apply for essential vacant positions with the Commonwealth,” according to a statement released yesterday.

The administration will also begin “an aggressive effort to recruit federal employees into Pennsylvania’s workforce” which includes a new website.

“Under my Administration, we’ve worked to speed up hiring, fill essential vacancies, and recruit more qualified employees who have helped us cut processing times, reduce wait lists, and deliver results for the people of Pennsylvania,” said Governor Shapiro. “Right now, Pennsylvania still has 540 critical jobs to fill – and we have an opportunity to recruit federal workers and veterans who have significant experience and expertise in all of these fields because they’ve held these jobs already at the federal level or in the military. Under this Executive Order, my Administration will consider relevant federal work experience as equivalent to Commonwealth work experience so skilled, experienced federal employees can pre-qualify for existing open positions with the Commonwealth — while continuing to protect pathways for veterans to continue their service.”

The order is a response to President Donald Trump’s ongoing liquidation of federal employees. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that “it is unclear how many of Pennsylvania’s 5,600 job openings align with the experience of laid-off federal workers.”

The order is below:

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