VA to Slow Hiring Pace After Adding Tens of Thousands of Workers

As reported February 22 by Molly Weisner for Federal Times, after a year of frenzied hiring to fill jobs created by new legislation and chronic understaffing, the VA said it now has the overall personnel it needs, and the pace of hiring will ease as medical centers top out. The Veterans Health Administration reached more than 400,000 staff for the first time in history last year, and brought in more than 61,000 external hires, said VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes. The department said now it won’t be hiring at the same pace, though it will continue to bring on candidates in mental health care and locations with increasing numbers of patients.