The League of Iowa Human & Civil Rights Agencies

Uncle Sam may be hiring, but he's also trimming staff in some corners of the government, as agencies suffer through a budget squeeze or shift their focus. The federal government hired 97,445 people in the first nine months of 2009, mostly for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, according to the Office of Personnel Management. But just as new faces show up at some offices, seven agencies or departments hope to cut about 37,000 workers with buyouts and early-retirement offers. They're dangling $25,000 buyout offers and varying amounts for early retirement, depending on a worker's full government tenure. Workers age 50 and above with at least 20 years of service and employees of any age with at least 25 years of service are eligible for early retirement.

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