[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 182 (Thursday, November 14, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1442-E1443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2019

  Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Federal Employee 
Recruitment Act of 2019 to require the Office of Personnel Management 
(OPM) to develop, within three months of enactment of this bill, a plan 
for recruiting new workers into federal service. With the aging of the 
federal workforce, this bill is more important than ever.
  The average age of federal employees has steadily increased over the 
course of the last two decades, hitting 47.5 years in 2017. In the 
private sector, 54 percent workers are over 40 years old, while in the 
federal workforce, that number is 69 percent. At the end of last year, 
only 6 percent of the federal workforce were under 30, while almost a 
quarter of private-sector employees were under 30.
  There are numerous consequences to an aging federal workforce. For 
example, as older federal employees opt to retire, the government risks 
permanently losing much of its institutional knowledge if federal 
agencies cannot find adequate replacements.
  Possible solutions to the problem of a graying workforce include 
increased federal recruitment at college and university campuses, 
increased technological innovation in how applications are submitted, 
and a greater number of internships. Improved benefits, including paid 
family leave, increased telework,

[[Page E1443]]

and short-term disability insurance allowing coverage for non-work-
related injury or illness or pregnancy, can also likely increase 
recruitment and retention of employees by the federal government.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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