The CDC has hundreds of unfilled positions following a federal government hiring freeze implemented by President Donald Trump, reports The Washington Post.
Here are six things to know.
1. President Trump implemented a federal hiring freeze in January. The freeze allowed exemptions for positions deemed "necessary to meet national security or public safety responsibilities." The freeze also excluded military personnel.
2. The federal government lifted the hiring freeze last month. During a press briefing, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said lifting the across-the-board hiring freeze "does not mean that the agencies will be free to hire willy-nilly," but through "a more strategic plan."
3, The OMB gave federal agencies until the end of June to submit a plan to reduce their civilian workforces, according to the report.
4. Meanwhile, nearly 700 positions remain vacant at the CDC, reports The Washington Post. A senior CDC official told the publication the vacant positions include dozens of budget analysts and public health policy analysts, scientists and advisers. In total, the CDC has approximately 12,000 employees, excluding contractors.
5. At least 125 job categories, each covering a number of people, remain unfilled, according to a recent CDC document reviewed by The Washington Post. This includes high-level positions.
6. The CDC is just one part of HHS with vacant positions. Unfilled jobs at the National Institutes of Health include program and laboratory assistants, according to the report. Although the NIH may hire for "essential patient care staff vacancies," personnel cannot be reassigned, and the NIH cannot use contractors for full-time duties, reports The Washington Post, citing an internal NIH memo.
Read the full report here.