FBI, DOJ Accelerate Hiring to Address Staffing Shortages

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department are accelerating recruitment efforts to address significant staffing shortages following a year of departures, including firings and resignations that have left field offices and prosecutorial teams under strain.

Over the past year, the agencies have experienced thousands of exits, with internal estimates indicating around 5,500 people have left components of the Justice Department. The FBI has lost nearly 1,000 assistant U.S. attorneys, while sections handling espionage cases in the National Security Division have seen a 40 percent drop in prosecutors. Advocacy groups and officials report that U.S. attorneys' offices from Minneapolis to Washington now operate with reduced leadership and case teams, forcing remaining staff to manage increased caseloads and extended hours. In some districts, military lawyers have been brought in as special prosecutors to maintain operations.

To rebuild capacity, the FBI has streamlined its hiring process. Internal candidates transitioning to special agent roles no longer face a three-member panel interview or a lengthy writing assessment, according to agency communications. Transfers...