The National Weather Service has gotten permission to fill hundreds of positions after losing more than 600 employees since the start of the year from layoffs, early retirements and other staff reductions initiated by the Trump administration.
The news was first reported Tuesday by CNN, which noted that 450 new hires had been authorized. POLITICO’s E&E News confirmed the development with a person familiar with the move, who was granted anonymity to speak without fear of reprisal. The person also said NWS Director Ken Graham has been given direct hiring authority to fill hundreds of positions across the country.
The new hires will include an earlier authorization, announced in June, for NWS to hire 126 employees. As of July, these 126 positions had not yet been advertised on USAjobs.gov, the federal government’s official hiring website.
The latest announcement is a “very important move” toward rebuilding the agency’s depleted ranks, according to Louis Uccellini, a former NWS director. “It’s a good sign that they’re recognizing the importance of the NWS in public safety to hire those people back,” he added.
