In Response to National Hiring Crisis, Work for America Opens Its Government Hiring Platform to All Job Seekers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Sophie McGrath, Work for America, press@workforamerica.org
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Civic Match, previously limited to workers impacted by federal cuts, now connects any job seeker to opportunities in state and local government
BROOKLYN, NY — Today, Work for America (WFA) is opening its government hiring platform, Civic Match, to any job seeker committed to public service. Upon expansion, Civic Match remains the only platform built exclusively for state and local government hiring, free for both job seekers and government hiring managers. From laid off tech workers looking for their next opportunity, to lifelong public servants exploring roles in new cities or states, Civic Match, which has supported over 14,000 job seekers to date, is open to all. Until now, WFA’s platform was reserved for workers impacted by federal cuts.
As private-sector layoffs across industries continue to surge, careers in state and local government, which have not eliminated positions due to emerging technology such as AI, continue to be some of the most stable and resilient career paths. At the same time, tech-sector layoffs in 2026 have already surpassed all of 2025, with more than 128,000 jobs cuts industry-wide. Job postings to the Civic Match platform have grown consistently by roughly 420 new roles posted per month since early 2025.
Civic Match’s own data shows the opportunity that exists for job seekers: nearly a quarter of all jobs ever posted to the platform call for skills typically found in industries that have been prone to lay-offs such as data & analytics, cybersecurity, UX/design, IT, technology policy, or AI. More than a third of Civic Match job seekers who landed a state or local government role reported having one or more of these tech-adjacent skills.
“Some of the most creative, entrepreneurial work in the country is happening inside city and state governments, building the tools millions of people rely on every day,” said Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director of Work for America. “There has never been a shared front door to find those jobs. Now there is, and it's open to anyone who wants to serve.”
Since the platform’s launch, over 500 Civic Match job seekers have landed new roles in state and local government across 42 states and Washington, D.C. As of August 2026, the platform works with 440 state and local government customers spanning 49 states, 296 cities, and 54 counties, and has hosted 7,717 job postings on the platform to date.
See additional Civic Match data on state and local government hiring trends here.
About Civic Match
Civic Match is Work for America’s nonpartisan platform connecting talented professionals with open roles in state and local government. The platform has helped over 300 state and local governments reach more than 14,000 candidates to fill essential roles while helping top talent discover pathways into public service. Civic Match is part of Work for America’s broader effort to rebuild the public service talent pipeline and strengthen the capacity of state and local governments nationwide.
About Work for America
Honored by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies 2026, Work for America (WFA) is a nonpartisan nonprofit rebuilding the talent pipeline into state and local government. We connect talented professionals to public sector roles, help governments modernize how they recruit and hire, and inspire the next generation of public servants to see government as the most powerful place to drive progress. By expanding pathways into government and telling a new story about public service, Work for America is helping communities build the teams they need to deliver results.
Our work has been recognized by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and TIME. Read more here.
