Government & Public Sector — Federal workforce under multi-front pressure: DHS shutdown ends, GAO faces 1,000-employee cut, Pentagon seeks cyber talent tools, and workforce trauma stalls AI adoption

Government & Public Sector · 2026-05-01

The federal workforce is being reshaped simultaneously from multiple directions. Congress finally ended DHS's record-setting shutdown while House appropriators targeted GAO for a 1,000-employee reduction — a direct hit to government oversight capacity. The Pentagon is asking Congress for new authorities to compete for cyber talent, while the VA attempts targeted hiring amid constrained…