The Government Efficiency Office (DOGE), which was launched with great fanfare when President Donald Trump appointed Tesla CEO Elon Musk as its head in January of last year, officially concluded its operations on July 4. The political news outlet Noters reported that the DOGE program has officially ended and that government agencies are beginning to resume hiring. Politico noted that when Trump issued the executive order establishing DOGE, he set its sunset date for Independence Day, stating that a smaller, more efficient government with less bureaucracy would be a perfect gift for the nation’s 250th birthday. However, the rapid layoffs of federal employees led to significant confusion.
Scott Cooper, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), stated in a Reuters interview last November that DOGE "does not exist," effectively announcing its dissolution.
According to Noters, Trump has lifted most of the hiring freeze across the government, and federal agencies are showing signs of moving away from workforce reduction goals. Indeed, federal agencies are increasing their job postings, with the National Endowment for the Humanities being one example. The endowment reported posting 68,900 job openings from August to December last year, and 104,000 job openings from January to May this year.
The State Department, which laid off hundreds of diplomats last year, is now hiring a significant number of new diplomats. The IRS, which cut 27% of its workforce last year, has received special "fast-track" approval to hire 8,000 new employees. IRS officials have indicated that staff shortages have jeopardized nearly all aspects of tax administration.
Some federal agencies are still grappling with the fallout from mass layoffs. The Social Security Administration (SSA), which handles welfare and social security, is a prime example. The SSA saw 1,727 customer service representatives leave from early last year to May of this year. Given the agency's focus on tasks such as issuing Social Security numbers and processing welfare applications, this has created significant operational challenges. The SSA has already hired 500 call center employees and plans to hire an additional 1,000 this year to assist with customer service.
However, Donald Kettle, an emeritus professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, pointed out that most federal agencies have only hired a small fraction of the employees they laid off. For instance, the Department of Agriculture's nutrition program has only replaced 0.3% of its laid-off staff.
Some former employees who received reemployment offers have declined to return. Molly Hardy, who worked at the National Endowment for the Humanities, was laid off due to DOGE budget cuts. At the time of her layoff, she indicated a desire to be rehired. The endowment cut two-thirds of its staff last year due to budget reductions but has resumed hiring this year. The organization offered Hardy a virtual interview in March, which she declined, according to Noters.
There is also interest in whether DOGE will be dissolved as originally announced by Trump. The White House did not respond to inquiries on this matter, according to Politico. However, DOGE stated in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on July 4 that while its official mission has ended, its commitment to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse will continue. It emphasized that managing taxpayer dollars responsibly is not a temporary task and expressed hope that this principle will remain strong for the next 250 years.
According to Politico, DOGE saved $215 billion, approximately $1,335.4 per taxpayer, over its 18-month operation. Major savings came from software costs, the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and the termination of unused space leases. However, some analysts noted that this amount is relatively small compared to the federal budget, which totals around $7 trillion. The British daily Independent commented on DOGE's closure, stating that the Trump administration quietly moved away from DOGE as the nation celebrated its 250th Independence Day.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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