VA HIRING FREEZE LIFTED FOR OVER 100 POSITIONS, INCLUDING VETERANS CRISIS LINE JOBS
The VA recently opened more than 100 roles that were under a hiring freeze starting January 20, 2025 and was extended to July 15, 2025 after an initial plan for 90 days. This is the third update to the hiring freeze exemption list for the VA, and there are now over 300 positions within the VA exempt from the hiring freeze.
It is important to note that this opening does not specify job roles, it is positions. So it isn’t opening one hundred job positions. Instead, it is opening up thousands of potential job hirings within the VA.
The VA Plans to Layoff as Many as 80,000 This Year
According to an internal memo released earlier this year, the VA plans to release tens of thousands of employees this year.
A plan was crafted when Elon Musk was still leading DOGE, that the VA would partner with the department to create a workforce optimization plan. According to VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek, the VA’s plan was to “move aggressively” to reduce management and bureaucracy, eventually increasing “workforce efficiency.”
Despite Elon’s announcement that he would be leaving the Trump Administration, he vowed that the cuts will still continue. “The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time,” Musk said during a Friday news conference in the Oval Office. “The DOGE influence will only grow stronger.”
Earlier this year, around 1,000 employees who were responsible for answering crisis line phone calls were let go from the VA’s suicide crisis line. While some quickly had their positions reinstated, many were left wondering why these positions were eligible for cuts in the first place.
“The crisis line serves Veterans in their darkest hour, and it is our responsibility to make certain that it operates to the highest standards, just as every military commander understands that our war fighters’ effectiveness, indeed their lethality, depends on a fully resourced, diverse network of enablers,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said.
According to an email written by VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz, the VA is currently reviewing all documents within the agency, and is intending to cut the workforce to about 398,000 employees. The current number of employees is roughly around 470,000.
“Our goal is to increase productivity, eliminate waste and bureaucracy, increase efficiency, and improve health care and benefits to Veterans,” said Kasperowicz.
Kasperowicz went on to say, “We are going to maintain VA’s mission-essential jobs like doctors, nurses, and claims processors, while phasing out non-mission essential roles like DEI officers. The savings we achieve will be redirected to Veteran health care and benefits.”
What Departments Will be Impacted by the Workforce Cuts?
The Trump Administration is looking to cut around 107,000 federal jobs next year. Under current budget forecasts, the Education Department will lose the most employees, followed by the Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration, Small Business Administration, and NASA.
The Education Department has moved to cut around one-third of its workforce, though these reductions are currently paused by a separate court order.
Additionally, the departments of Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Agriculture are expecting to see a 20% reduction of their workforces. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is projected to see a 13% reduction of its workforce, and the Transportation Security Administration is projected to cut around 6% of its workforce.
The Transportation Department is the only department that is projecting a staffing increase. This increase is being driven by hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration.
VA Press Secretary Assures Veterans That the VA Is Getting Back “On Track”
According to a statement released by VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz, the VA is now working to right size their force.
He said, “This expanded list of hiring freeze exemptions is proof we’re on track, as is the growing list of VA successes over the last few months.”
The VA has reduced the number of disability claims by 25% since President Trump took office. As the VA expanded the positions exempt from the federal hiring freeze, they found areas that need more support to take care of Veterans.
The VA is now opening positions that support the VA pharmacy. These positions aim to assist with refilling prescriptions, billing, enrollment and eligibility for VA services, and customer service for the VA’s Office of Integrated Veteran Care.
Why are There Openings Within the Veteran Crisis Line?
One of the main areas of interest regarding position openings is the Veteran Crisis Line (VCL).
The VCL takes the calls of more than 60,000 Veterans in crisis every month. When a Veteran calls in crisis, the crisis responder relies on the support team to help with welfare checks and other support behind the scenes. This way, the crisis responder can focus on helping the Veteran.
Erika Alexander, president of AFGE Local 518 and a VCL employee for the past eight years, shared why it’s harder on crisis responders when they don’t have support staff,
“If I’m a crisis responder, and a Veteran calls me saying that he’s going to end his life, and he’s refusing to put the gun away or whatever it might be that they’re saying — they’re going to harm themselves — I reach out to the SSA for assistance with getting a welfare check completed.”
Veteran Crisis Line Positions That Are No Longer Under a Hiring Freeze:
- Social science program specialist (Silent Monitor, Includes Lead, Supervisory and Non-Supervisory, VCL)
- Peer Support Apprenticeship/Peer Specialist (Includes Lead, Supervisory and Non-Supervisory, VCL)
- Social Service Assistant ( Includes Lead, Supervisory and Non-Supervisory, VCL)
- Management Analyst (VCL)
- Management and Project Analyst ( Includes Supervisory and Non-Supervisory, VCL)
- Program Analyst (VCL)
- Supervisory Program Analyst (Silent Monitor, VCL)
- Health Science Specialist (Oncology, Support Positions, VCL)
- Supervisory Health Science Specialist (VCL)
It is a big deal that these positions are exempt from the hiring freeze. Once the hiring freeze lifts, a federal law (created to help reduce the federal government) prevents the hiring of a new person until four people leave.
This will not work for the VCL, which needs a full staff to meet the demand of helping Veterans with PTSD symptoms, suicidal ideation, homelessness, and other trauma related response.
The VCL can not replace four people with one person in terms of meeting the need of response required.
What’s Next for Job Seekers?
If you are interested in applying for any of the open positions, the VA says to keep watch on USA Jobs, which is where the job positions will be listed.
As the VA continues to work to reduce its workforce it is finding that some positions are necessary to support the Veterans they are in charge of taking care of.
In light of this recent hiring freeze lift, VA Press Secretary Kasperowicz has released a statement assuring Veterans that the Trump Administration is working to listen to all of those involved, working to deliver the best services possible to Veterans, their family members, and caregivers.
Read next:
- Are VA Benefits Cuts on the Horizon for Veterans? It's Possible.
- Elon Musk Has Reportedly Sent a DOGE Employee to Make VA Cuts, Sparking Concern
- Here's How Federal Cuts Will Impact VA Research & the Job Market
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