ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- Today, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) released the memorandum Department of the Air Force Civilian Workforce Hiring Freeze Guidance rescinding and replacing the previously provided memorandum Department of the Air Force Hiring Freeze, dated March 1, 2025, in order to align with further directives under the USD(P&R) memo Guidance on Hiring Freeze Exemptions for the Civilian Workforce dated March 18, 2025.
DAF will prioritize personnel actions that enable internal realignment of civilian personnel from less critical to more critical positions and external hiring of new personnel into critical positions. DAF organizations may submit for Secretary of the Air Force approval:
- All positions paid from non-appropriated funds
- All Dual-status military technicians
- Internal personnel actions into critical positions consistent with the attachment that do not add to DAF onboard strength
DAF organizations may also submit for Secretary of the Air Force approval external new hires into critical positions that add to DAF onboard strength within the following parameters:
- Organizations should prioritize such requests within their existing funding.
- The Secretariat, Air Staff, and Air Force MAJCOMs, FOAs, and DRUs may submit new hire requests when their onboard strength, excluding employees approved for the OPM and DoD Deferred Resignation Programs, is less than 90% of their Jan. 20, 2025, onboard strength.
- The Space Staff may submit new hire requests when their onboard strength, excluding employees approved for the OPM and DoD Deferred Resignation Programs, is less than 90% of their Jan. 20, 2025, authorized strength. Space Force FLDCOMs, FOAs, and DRUs may submit new hire requests when their onboard strength, excluding employees approved for the OPM and DoD Deferred Resignation Programs, is less than 95% of their Jan. 20, 2025, onboard strength.
The full memorandum can be read here.