Study forecasts hiring surge in critical government jobs

A new study from the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service predicts a government hiring surge in critical fields during the next three years, especially in careers related to public health.

By September 2012, federal agencies will have hired 273,000 workers for mission-critical jobs, according to the report, which is set for release on Thursday. Those numbers mark a 41 percent increase, compared with the previous three fiscal years. The numbers are based on hiring projections from 35 federal agencies that employ more than 99 percent of federal workers.

Max Stier, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership, said one reason for the jump is the Obama administration's push to beef up the federal workforce.

"There's pent-up demand," he said. "A lot of agencies have been flat-lined, or have been reduced for quite a number of years, and this administration is recognizing that this is a problem, and that they need to deal with it."

According to the report, 54,114 new hires will expand the ranks of medical and public health workers, and 52,077 in security and protection jobs. Many will be nurses at the Veterans Affairs Department and transportation security officers at the Homeland Security Department.

Agencies also will be looking for job candidates at law schools. According to the report, they plan to hire 23,596 people for legal positions. And not everyone will be headed to the Justice Department. While Justice plans to hire 4,556 attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants; VA expects to hire 4,277 claims examiners. And the Treasury Department is looking to pick up 6,621 people in the legal field -- mostly contact representatives.

Other reasons for the hiring surge include an increase in retirements and more demands on agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and especially VA, Stier said. VA, which is dealing with a surge of veterans from two wars, plans to hire 48,159 people in mission-critical positions.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the government to restock its talent," he said.

The Partnership has predicted that in Obama's first term, agencies will bring on 600,000 employees, making a third of the federal workforce newly hired.

The report, "Where the Jobs Are," is released biannually. This is the third study.