Gov. Joe Lombardo delivering the Nevada State of the State address on Jan. 15, 2025. (Photo: Richard Bednarski for Nevada Current)
Democratic lawmakers in Nevada are urging state action to help keep former federal workers employed in the state amid mass firings.
Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, lagging behind the rest of the country in job growth. Those statistics may only worsen as thousands of federal workers in the state face termination following the Trump administration’s push to slash the federal workforce, said state lawmakers.
In a letter to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, lawmakers requested a detailed plan of action by March 18 that ensures federal workers are given the opportunity to fill critical workforce shortages in state and local government.
“By taking swift action to integrate these fired federal workers into vacant state and government roles, we can reduce our unemployment rate, ensure that essential public services remain strong, and most importantly, ensure that Nevadans can provide for their families,” reads the letter.
The letter was sent by Democratic Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, Assembly Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui, and Speaker Pro Tem Daniele Monroe-Moreno.
Nevadans in several federal agencies have been terminated with little notice or explanation as a result of the federal workforce purge, including water quality specialists at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, search and rescue rangers at the Great Basin National Park, and disabled veterans.
Federal workers with less than a year or two in their roles were the most at risk of termination due to their probationary status. Federal workers on a probationary status don’t have the same job protections as those who have been in their roles for longer. All federal workers start new roles on a probationary status.
There is no official estimate of the number of federal workers fired in Nevada, but the number of federal employees categorized as recent hires in Nevada could be in the thousands, according to the latest federal workforce data maintained by the agency.
As of September 2024, there were 1, 281 federal employees with less than one year on the job working in Nevada. Federal employees hired in the state over the past one to two years totaled 2,512.
“Nevadans could greatly benefit from the experience and expertise of these fired federal employees. We can strengthen Nevaa’s public sector while demonstrating our state’s commitment to its workforce. This is not a partisan issue — it is a matter of economic stability and responsible governance for those who elected us,” the letter reads.
President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — the de facto director of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency — have touted mass terminations at federal agencies as a cost-saving measure to root out waste, fraud and inefficiency in the federal government.
A U.S. District Judge ruled last week that the Trump administration broke the law when it directed the Office of Personnel Management — the central human resources office for the federal government — to order the termination of thousands of probationary employees.
Governors in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico have launched initiatives to assist federal workers in obtaining employment in their states. Lombardo’s office did not immediately respond to questions about whether he would consider implementing similar initiatives.
“We encourage you to join other Governors who have stepped up to support these fired workers, their families, and ultimately, the well-being of all Nevadans,” said lawmakers in the letter.