President Donald Trump (R) has issued a three-month extension of the federal hiring freeze that was set to expire earlier this month.
Jobs in the military and positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety continue to be exempted from this freeze and positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs, medical personnel, food safety inspectors, firefighters, air traffic controllers, and National Weather Service employees will not be affected either.
Positions within the Executive Office of the President are also excluded from the hold.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) may grant additional exemptions to other agencies as necessary.
A 90-day hiring freeze was first signed by President Trump immediately after his inauguration on January 20. An extension was then signed in April that was effective through July 15. With this second deadline on the horizon, the President signed Tuesday’s memorandum extending the freeze into the fall.
“In carrying out this memorandum,” Trump wrote, “the heads of agencies shall seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of those services. “
“Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making staff reallocations or reassignments to meet the highest priority needs, maintain essential services, and protect national security, homeland security, and public safety,” he said.
The President also clarified that “nothing in this memorandum shall adversely impact the provision of Social Security, Medicare, or veterans’ healthcare or benefits.”
The Memorandum goes on to say that any hiring that does take place in the federal government must adhere to the Merit Hiring Plan issued by the OMB pursuant to the Executive Order 14170, Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service.
Under the January 20 Executive Order, the President directed all federal hiring to prioritize “individuals committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.”
Trump then added that the government must “prevent the hiring of individuals based on their race, sex, or religion, and prevent the hiring of individuals who are unwilling to defend the Constitution or to faithfully serve the Executive Branch.”
The OMB issued its official Merit Hiring Plan pursuant to this Executive Order on May 29, 2025.
In a July 7 White House press release, it was explained that the Memorandum would require “many federal hires to be approved by an agency’s presidentially appointed leadership, to end incompetence and ‘equity’ over results.”
The press release appears to suggest that the hiring freeze is intended to improve government efficiency and “ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.”
“The American people elected President Trump to drain the swamp and end ineffective government programs that empower government without achieving measurable results,” the White House said.
This most recent extension of the federal hiring freeze will be in place until October 15, 2025.
