Full Breakdown
DOGE Sunset Spurs Federal Hiring Surge Amid Unclear Savings Record
7/5/2026, 2:22:56 AM
DOGE Ends
President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 executive order created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and set its termination for July 4, 2026. OMB director Russell Vought confirmed the administration has “no plans to do a closing DOGE report.” The DOGE website remains but uploads only partial savings data.
Cuts and Savings
DOGE’s “Fork in the Road” severance program paid about $11 billion. More than 260,000 federal employees left under DOGE-directed cuts. It claimed $215 billion in savings, but only ~30 % of receipts are posted and experts dispute the figure.
Hiring Surge
USAJobs listings rose from just over 68,900 in the last five months of 2025 to more than 104,000 in five months of 2026. Agencies hiring include NEH, VA (after cutting 30,000 jobs), HHS (10,000 layoffs, now seeking 12,000 hires), SSA (aiming for 1,000 hires, 500 already on staff), IRS (8,000 hires), and tech programs that have hired 125 of a 1,000-person target.
Official View
Vought praised DOGE’s “important strides” and said its “fruits are sprinkled across government.” OPM head Scott Kupor told NOTUS he is “not hearing” a continued mandate to cut staff and calls effort a “reshaping.” DOGE Service administrator Amy Gleason said it is “recruiting top-tier talent.” Vought noted OMB has $100 million for reorganization but has spent less than $10 million, aiming to grow staff from 500 to about 675.
Criticism
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) warned that agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission had to “quickly re-hire staff” after premature cuts, calling it “devastating.” An anonymous SSA employee called the reassignment “stupidity,” saying, “They’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.” Jenny Mattingley, Partnership for Public Service, said, “You can significantly politicize federal workforce by firing them, and then loosening the standards and restrictions on which you bring people in.”
Conflicting Reports
The $215 billion savings claim remains contested; dashboard shows only a fraction of cancellations. FY 2027 budget request listed $35 million for DOGE, but enacted appropriations bill provided only $8 million to OMB’s IT oversight bucket, and the DOGE website was taken offline in early July. OMB’s $100 million reorganization fund is largely unspent, and no formal closure report is forthcoming despite congressional inquiries.
Quotes
- “I’m not hearing that.” — Scott Kupor, OPM Director
- “They’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.” — Anonymous SSA employee
- “You can significantly politicize federal workforce by firing them, and then loosening the standards and restrictions on which you bring people in.” — Jenny Mattingley, Partnership for Public Service
- “We think it made some important strides.” — Russell Vought, OMB Director
What’s Next
Agencies will keep evaluating staffing gaps while OMB expands its workforce. Congressional pressure may produce a comprehensive accounting of DOGE’s actions, and public dashboard and API will remain key verification tools.
