15,000 More Feds in 2012?

While many have called for the federal government to undergo hiring freezes and other spending cuts to help reduce the budget deficit, President Obama's fiscal 2012 budget proposal, released Tuesday, calls for an additional 15,000 federal workers.

The budget estimates an increase of 15,000 workers next year, which would make 2012 the third straight year that federal civilian employment has topped 2.1 million employees. Even with the 15,000-person increase, however, the budget estimates 12,000 fewer federal workers in 2012 than 2010.

The biggest increase in workers would come at the Homeland Security Department, which the budget estimates would hire 8,000 new workers in 2012. The Justice Department, which last month announced a temporary freeze on hiring, is estimated to add 4,000 new workers, and the Treasury Department is estimated to add 6,000 new workers, according to the budget blueprint.

Are the workforce increases necessary? If so, in what areas? Given Obama's commitment to improve the efficiency of the government workforce in 2012, should the hiring of additional IT workers play a role?

For more information on the 2012 workforce projections, click here (Page 353).