Editorial: Graying work force is a worry

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001 | 8:29 a.m.

Federal agencies essential to the war on terrorism are expected to get budget increases, but they still could lose many of their employees. Why? The federal government's work force is graying. The departments of State, Defense, Transportation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency all could lose as many as 45 percent of their employees through retirement in the next five years, according to a study prepared by the General Accounting Office. The study received scant attention when it was released last winter, but congressmen should dust off that report immediately.

The GAO didn't just identify the problem, it also suggested ways to reverse the trend: There need to be better pay and benefits, better recruitment of younger people and an overhaul of outdated agency rules that can unnecessarily delay hiring and also overlook skilled areas that need to be filled. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, the ranking Republican on a subcommittee that has oversight of government management, plans to introduce legislation soon that will incorporate much of what the GAO has recommended. The terrorism we face today underscores the need to hire more employees, but Voinovich also notes that it isn't just raw numbers -- the agencies also have to be staffed with people with the right skills, including the ability to speak languages used in the Middle East and Central Asia.

The GAO's proposals are sound and Congress should pass them. Still, the prospect for their approval isn't certain, even in a crisis like this. President Bush should prod Congress along so that federal agencies take steps to recruit -- and keep -- younger employees to fill the gaps created by retirement. The United States can ill afford to fight the battle against terrorism if the agencies themselves are shorthanded and don't have the experts they need.