'I Need To Pay My Bills': Laid-Off Federal Workers Recruited By State, County

ODENTON, MD — "The hatchet just came down," said Sylvie Kwedi of North Laurel. "We were not expecting it at all."

The Howard County resident said she was laid off in January from an AIDS prevention foundation that lost its federal grant.

Kwedi was among the 750 job seekers at a Thursday evening job fair in Odenton recruiting laid-off federal workers. Attendees also included terminated government contractors and workers for aid organizations that lost funding. Other participants were employees who accepted the deferred resignation buyout and current federal workers scouting options in case they were eventually dismissed.

The fair responded to President Donald Trump's government downsizing, which he says will save taxpayer money. Kwedi appreciates the push to eliminate waste, but she would prefer a slower and more strategic approach.

"I completely understand the argument. Of course, we want to be efficient," she said. "But there's a way of doing it. It should have been done methodically."

The State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis are now recruiting former federal workers for vacant jobs in local government.

The Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation hosted the event at the O'Malley Senior Activity Center. Recruiters hailed from the Anne Arundel County Police and Fire Departments, the county school system and the Maryland Department of Labor. Other opportunities were available through Live! Casino & Hotel and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Plans are underway for a second recruitment event in Anne Arundel County. The Workforce Development Corporation is also planning a regional career fair with neighboring jurisdictions.

"At this point, I'll take anything. I need to pay my bills because the layoffs were so unexpected," Kwedi told Patch, noting that she had to "sink or swim."

Kwedi was a project manager for nearly two years at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which conducts HIV research. She worked with African countries like the Ivory Coast, Malawi and Lesotho to prevent the spread of disease. After losing funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Kwedi fears the foundation may be unable to address outbreaks that could eventually reach America.

"The scariest part is not even because of my job. I've been laid off before. The scariest part is the impact that that work had," Kwedi said.

Edgewater resident Greg Maki's position was eliminated last month when his employer lost its Department of Education contract. Maki, a remote worker of nearly five years for Quality Information Partners, knew he was at risk. Trump recently ordered the Education Department to cut half its staff and prepare for its eventual closure.

"I wasn't surprised when it happened. I could see it coming," Maki said.

Maki spent almost 19 years as a journalist for The Star Democrat in Easton. He eventually switched paths and became a communications specialist for his government contractor.

"It definitely seemed safer than journalism," Maki said. "It's not anymore."

Maki enjoyed his most recent employer and would return for one of its private sector contracts. He remains wary of federal jobs amid the ongoing cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Led by billionaire Elon Musk, DOGE has cut tens of thousands of jobs.

Maryland has lost about 13,000 jobs with federal agencies and contractors since Trump returned to the White House, state budget officials estimated earlier this month. Federal judges have since ordered that 25,000 workers be reinstated nationwide. Some were kept on administrative leave until the courts said they should return to work.

"There doesn't seem to be effective communication about what's going on. No one seems to know anything about who's in charge, who's making the decisions. It does not seem efficient," Maki said of DOGE.

Sharitta Glover, whose federal job is scheduled to be eliminated in late April, also critiqued DOGE's approach. The Germantown resident said she was among the roughly 20 layoffs on her team at USAID. She worked at the agency for five years and is on administrative leave until her termination date.

"You can do things efficiently [without] tearing apart or eliminating jobs," Glover said. "You don't have to eliminate a 10,000-person workforce."

Glover worked in human resources at USAID's Washington, D.C. office. She may pivot to state or county government because they are more intimate, have greater growth opportunity and offer stronger job security.

"All the hard work that I put in ... that doesn't matter and it's not taken into account," Glover said. "They're just looking at just downsizing, we're not looking at the actual people that will be affected."

Anne Arundel County has a list of resources for laid-off workers at aacounty.org/federal-employee-assistance. The state has similar information at response.maryland.gov/federalpublicservants.

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