Laid-Off Federal Worker Rejects Chance to Return to Government Job
When Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency in November 2024, Matthew McCracken, a former federal employee, faced an unexpected opportunity: a chance to return to his old job at the Department of Defense. Laid off in 2020 during Trump’s first term as part of a broader push to shrink government payrolls, McCracken was among thousands let go from agencies like the DoD and IRS. Now, with Trump back in office and promising to reinstate some of those workers, McCracken’s former role opened up again. But he’s not interested.
“I’ve moved on,” McCracken, now 38, told Business Insider. After his layoff, he pivoted to the private sector, landing a position at a tech startup in Arlington, Virginia. There, he earns $120,000 a year—about 20% more than his old government salary of $100,000—while enjoying remote work flexibility and a less rigid schedule. The federal job, by contrast, required a daily commute to the Pentagon and offered little room for negotiation on pay or perks.
McCracken’s decision reflects a broader trend among ex-federal workers who’ve found greener pastures outside government. Trump’s latest administration has vowed to rehire many of the 80,000 employees cut during his first term, targeting agencies he once criticized as bloated. Yet, for some like McCracken, the appeal of returning has faded. “The private sector gave me a fresh start,” he said. “Why go back to a system that let me go so easily?”
His story began in 2017, when he joined the DoD as a data analyst after earning a master’s in public policy. Three years later, amid Trump’s cost-cutting measures, he was furloughed with just two weeks’ notice. The sudden loss stung, but it pushed him to rethink his career. After months of job hunting, he broke into tech, a field he’d never considered before. Now, he’s thriving—and skeptical of government stability.
Trump’s team has touted the rehiring plan as a win for loyalists, but McCracken sees it differently. “They’re acting like it’s a favor,” he said. “I don’t owe them anything.” With a new life built on his terms, he’s content to leave his federal days behind, even as others weigh a return to the public payroll.