Maryland Institutes Hiring Freeze And Buyouts To Remedy $121 Million Gap
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - JUNE 7: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore goes to greet guests during a campaign event ... More 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by)
Governor Moore, who advocates for recruiting fired federal workers, now faces the challenge of retaining his state government employees due to Maryland's budget shortfall.
In just a few days, beginning July 1, the state of Maryland will institute a state hiring freeze (of sorts) and offer voluntary employee buyouts to employees nearing retirement or otherwise eligible to accept the state government buyout offer.
Governor Moore announced the hiring freeze and funding predicament.
Moore announced Tuesday that the state will implement a hiring freeze for fiscal year 2026 (from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026) in response to the "historical fiscal challenge' that the current economy and budget present.
Governor Moore stated that his administration is 'committed to engaging with our public sector unions as we work through these difficult decisions. We are moving with care and intentionality to minimize impact on current employees and be transparent throughout the process.'
A union representative for Maryland's public service workers indicates that the union has remained in communication with the governor's office and will continue to advocate for resources for union workers.
Some key tenants for the hiring freeze and buyout plan.
State government leaders express that the administration will act with transparency and intentionality so as to limit confusion, minimize disruptions and avoid public service delays and interruptions for taxpayers.
Basically, the administration intends to fix the budget shortfall by using a soft-hand approach with hiring, personnel and operational matters. The key tenants of the plan are as follows:
Wes Moore's chief of staff clarifies details about the hiring freeze.
Moore's chief of staff, Fagan Harris, discussed the plan for moving forward to remedy the budget shortfall while simultaneously recruiting and hiring skilled new workers for priority roles. During the interview with WTOP News on Wednesday, Harris clarified a few key points about the administration's plans.
Regarding it being an actual full-blown hiring freeze, Fagan Harris says:
Regarding buyouts and collaboration with unions, Harris says:
Regarding continuing to recruit and hire federal workers while dealing with a $121 million budget shortfall, Fagan Harris says:
The messaging from the Moore administration is that they intend to identify and remedy inefficiencies and eliminate vacant positions where possible so as to limit the negative impact to services and programs as well as current government employees and citizens.
Recommended reading:
New Federal Hiring Freeze End Date And Hiring Restrictions
Nail The Interview: Answer 'Why Should We Hire You' Like A Pro
How Long Will The Federal Hiring Freeze Last? Implications For Government Employees
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