Newsom seeks to bring on board former federal employees after Trump administration cuts

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order forcing thousands of state employees to return to their offices four days a week, aligning with President Donald Trump's push to restore presenteeism in civil service. At the same time, however, Newsom is seeking to hire laid-off former federal workers as part of Trump's efforts to reduce the size of government.

Back to the office: a move in line with the federal government

Newsom's directive reinforces the national trend of calling for a return to face-to-face work in the public sector, something President Trump has pushed for. The governor justified the move by noting that in-office work improves collaboration and accountability.

"In-person work makes us all stronger — period. When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases. That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility," Newsom said.

The order expands a 2024 measure that only required two days of office attendance and will now impact about 95,000 state employees.

Newsom wants to hire workers Trump deemed unnecessary

While the Trump administration works to cut red tape and optimize resources, Newsom is going in the opposite direction. The California governor explained that he sees the federal government layoffs as an opportunity to add more employees to the state payroll.

According to the executive order, the elimination of positions at the federal level could benefit California by allowing the state to recruit former government employees to fill vacancies in key areas.

"With federal workforce reductions, California is strategically recruiting experienced professionals to fill key job openings in firefighting, extreme weather forecasting, climate resilience, and water management roles — ensuring the state remains prepared for natural disasters and environmental challenges — in addition to other critical fields such as medical and mental health care," the governor's statement said.