Evers launches campaign to recruit displaced federal workers to Wisconsin

Gov. Tony Evers is trying to recruit displaced federal workers to Wisconsin following waves of mass layoffs by the Trump Administration.

The state Department of Workforce Development launched an online portal this week with resources for people seeking career opportunities in Wisconsin. The agency is also hosting a series of virtual job fairs in April. 

The campaign is aimed at connecting qualified candidates with “in-demand” and hard-to-fill roles across Wisconsin and state government, according to the governor’s office.

In a letter to federal workers on the DWD website, Evers said Wisconsin has something to offer “everyone of every age, interest, and background,” and called the state a “great place to live, work, recreate, and raise a family.”

“We have a place for you here in Wisconsin,” Evers wrote. “We see your hard work, your experience, and your dedication to service, and we know you have valuable skills, unique backgrounds and perspectives, and a commitment to helping improve the lives of others.”

Earlier this month, Wisconsin joined a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration over its efforts to significantly reduce the federal workforce, arguing the federal government’s actions have been unlawful. 

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced plans to cut 20,000 jobs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s after Statista tracked more than 16,000 workers affected by announced federal layoffs as of Feb. 25. Another 75,000 federal employees reportedly accepted buyout offers from the Trump administration.

The administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling requiring it to reinstate thousands of fired probationary employees. More layoffs could be coming. NPR reports the Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to cut 80,000 jobs.

The governor’s office says the Wisconsin April job fairs will focus on areas of expertise affected by federal firings, like law enforcement and health care.

“Our mission is to remove barriers to meaningful careers, advance opportunities, and connect talent with opportunity,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek in a statement. “For anyone who finds purpose in a good day of challenging work, Wisconsin welcomes you home.”  

The effort comes as new data shows the state’s labor market held mostly steady in February. 

The state’s unemployment rate was unchanged from January at 3.2 percent, but the number of people employed decreased 5,300 over the month. 

“Jobs numbers have moderated somewhat so far in the start of 2025 but that’s only 2 data points,” said Scott Hodek, section chief of the Office of Economic Advisors at DWD, during a media briefing Thursday. “It’s hard to say exactly what we’re looking at there.”

Hodek said it’s still too early to know the impact of federal layoffs and trade policy on Wisconsin’s labor market.

He said DWD has looked at projections of what federal layoffs would look like in Wisconsin, but it’s difficult to “get exact numbers on who has and who hasn’t” lost their job.

“As we get more of that information, then we can start talking impacts,” Hodek said.

Despite economic uncertainty around tariffs, he said Wisconsin employers are hesitant to lay off workers because they face a “workforce crunch,” in which the state has had more job openings than job seekers since 2021.

“We might see hiring slow a little bit under those circumstances, but we really don’t have enough data yet to give us a full picture of what’s going on,” Hodek said. “Honestly, things are moving so quickly that it’s hard to say what kind of impacts we’d see, given the overall volatility and uncertainty.”