Secret Service Undertakes Significant Hiring Initiative

The Washington Post reported that the Secret Service launched an effort to hire 4,000 new agents by 2028, which would increase its staff size from 8,000 to 12,000 employees. Reporting indicated that a previous effort to reach a staffing level of 10,000 employees over 10 years failed, and that the agency faces a potential lack of qualified candidates and competition from other federal law enforcement agencies that are increasing their staffs. The primary drivers of the recruitment effort appear to be severe workforce burnout, high attrition, and an approaching surge of major security events, including the 2028 presidential election and Los Angeles Olympics. To accelerate hiring, the agency launched "Accelerated Candidate Events" that compress months of assessments into a few days.