Senior leadership at America’s largest employer—the Federal Government is continuing to feverishly shrink its workforce. Hundreds of thousands of Americans could be jobless within days. Many are being escorted from their workplaces with no notice. They are receiving termination letters that could make it difficult for them to receive unemployment benefits and continue with health benefits for their families.
And, according to press reports, federal employees received an “ultimatum” via email during the weekend asking them to justify the work they did last week by Monday or immediately resign. (Typically, one does not receive unemployment benefits when resigning)
It is going to be challenging for so many workers to find jobs when they are all tossed into the market simultaneously. Nonetheless, most workers need a starting point. They want to know where their skills are in high demand.
Frequent downsizing and restructuring is a familiar, if unwelcomed, experience to many in the corporate and entrepreneurial world. It is less familiar to those in public service where workers expect to serve for years in steady jobs with reasonable and predictable schedules at living wages.
As federal employees face layoffs, it’s crucial to identify expanding industries that align well with their skill sets. Here, based on fact-checked Chat-GPT information and our own research, are the top ten industries projected to experience job growth in 2025, we have included expected job gains for the coming year where information is readily available in an uncertain job market.
- Health Care and Social Assistance
Expected Job Gains: 66,000 in January 2025 alone, according to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
Why It Fits: Federal employees often possess strong organizational, regulatory compliance, and project management skills. These competencies are highly transferable to health care administration, policy analysis, and social services roles.
Auditors and accountants I worked with in the Federal Government went to work in regulated industries such as healthcare. Based on public information about median salaries in these jobs, they probably earned wages in excess of their previous government salaries.
- 2. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Expected Job Gains: This is a broad category of jobs that the Federal Government tracks closely. Projected growth is 10.5% from 2023 to 2033 based on US Department of Labor research, also summarized in Investopedia.
Why It Fits: Many federal roles involve research, data analysis, and technical expertise. These skills are directly applicable to roles in consulting, engineering services, and scientific research.
Some Ph.D.-level analysts I worked with in the Federal Government went on to serve as tenured, full-time, faculty members at prestigious public and private universities. Tenured faculty positions pay salaries in excess of $100,000 per year. These are highly-prized jobs as many university professors work as part-time “adjuncts” at much lower wages.
- 3. Technology (IT) and Computer Systems Design
Expected Job Gains: Nearly a 20% increase in employment is projected within a decade according to the Department of Labor and Investopedia.
Why It Fits: Federal employees with experience in IT project management, cybersecurity, and systems analysis can find opportunities in the private sector’s growing demand for tech professionals. Significantly, IT job titles may translate readily into private-sector roles.
- 4. Education and Training Services
Expected Job Gains: Steady growth is anticipated.
Why It Fits: Experience in policy development, program management, and public service equips federal workers for roles in educational administration, training program development, and instructional coordination. Federal agencies typically have robust training functions, too. That experience may directly translate to training and development jobs in business.
- 5. Environmental and Energy Sectors
Why It Fits: Federal employees from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency have expertise in regulatory compliance and environmental policy, making them suitable for roles in sustainability consulting and energy project management. Also, state governments operate their own environmental agencies that often have “delegated authority” from the USEPA to undertake certain programs, so workers with experience at the federal level may be valuable to them.
- 6. Financial Services and Accounting
Why It Fits: Skills in financial analysis, and auditing from federal positions are valued in banking, financial planning, and corporate finance sectors. Most industries need to follow tax and financial
Securities market rules that the federal government establishes or overseas, so this knowledge is potentially valuable to public companies.
- 7. Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Why It Fits: Experience in procurement, contract management, and logistics within federal agencies translates well to supply chain coordination roles in various industries.
- 8. Public Safety and Security
Why It Fits: Former federal law enforcement and homeland security personnel can transition into private security, emergency management, and compliance roles. State and local governments also have their own homeland security, law enforcement, and regulatory compliance programs where knowledge of federal rules and procedures would be valuable.
- 9. Human Resources and Organizational Development
Why It Fits: Federal HR specialists have experience in recruitment, employee relations, and training, which are in demand in the private sector.
10. Nonprofit and International Organizations
Why It Fits: Skills in program management, policy analysis, and international relations from federal service are valuable in NGOs and international bodies focusing on development, aid, and policy advocacy. Nonprofit organizations, based on my experience, are more focused on service than on making money, so the culture may be more compatible with mission-oriented former federal employees.
Transitioning from federal employment to the private sector or other non-federal roles requires strategic planning. Federal employees should assess their transferable skills, consider additional certifications if necessary, and build a network of contacts within their desired industries to facilitate a career shift.
A recruiter told me some years ago that “all skills are golden,” so do not discount your experience in public agencies no matter what politicians say.
Guide to the Post-pandemic Job Market
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