Hiring Resumes at Weather Service for Positions Previously Eliminated Amidst DOGE Turmoil
The National Weather Service (NWS) is taking steps to address significant staffing shortages that have been exacerbated by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-related cuts and early retirement incentives.
Since the second Trump administration, the NWS has seen a reduction of over 550 employees, leaving the agency with fewer than 4,000 employees across meteorologists, hydrologists, physical scientists, and electronics technicians. This shortfall has created critical vacancies essential for weather forecasting infrastructure.
In response, the NWS has received authorization to rehire hundreds of positions. The union representing the meteorologists estimates that as many as 770 positions could be filled to stabilize the agency. As of mid-2025, permission was granted to hire at least 126 previously approved positions, with plans to fill up to 450 "mission-critical frontline staff" roles.
The rehiring process has started, albeit slowly. Some electronics technician positions have recently been posted on the federal hiring portal. However, concerns have been raised about potential impacts on forecast accuracy or response, especially after extreme weather events like the deadly Texas flash floods in July 2025.
The NWS has been functioning with less data from fewer, less frequent weather balloon launches. The agency's employees have been working additional hours with additional responsibilities since the layoffs and retirements earlier this year.
The agency's staffing levels have been under scrutiny following the Texas floods, with vacancies at weather service forecast offices there. The NWS successfully argued for a public safety exemption from the federal hiring freeze, enabling them to speed up the hiring process with direct hiring authority under the Office of Personnel Management.
An NOAA official expressed frustration over the loss of trained personnel in the government cuts, questioning the cost of training new hires when trained personnel were let go. The granting of this exemption can help address this issue, as it allows the NWS to rehire some of the employees who were let go in the DOGE cuts.
The agency employees are greeting the news with guarded optimism and relief. While the rehiring of critical staff is underway, it may take some time before full operational capacity is restored, raising concerns about the country's preparedness for the upcoming hurricane season.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is rehiring hundreds of positions to restore operational capacity, as estimated by the union representing meteorologists. This is in response to significant staffing shortages exacerbated by the loss of employees and early retirement incentives, which have impacted weather forecasting capabilities.
