County Government Recruits Laid-Off Federal Workers At Towson Job Fair

TOWSON, MD — Laid-off federal contractors were among the hundreds of job-seekers who packed into a Towson career fair Thursday, all seeking positions within Baltimore County's government.

Fifteen county agencies, from police and fire to libraries and parks, all pitched their departments to prospective employees amid the mass layoffs in the federal government.

Information technology specialists were heavily represented at the job fair held at Towson University in the former armory.

Three IT contractors told Patch their contract was eliminated Friday at the Social Security Administration's Woodlawn headquarters. A terminated worker said his company laid off 15 people at the Baltimore County office and another five based in Washington, D.C.

"We always thought federal government was safe, but it's not anymore," Hong Yee said after being laid off from the contract.

The layoffs have caused uncertainty, even among government leaders. The cuts came in such a swarm that County Executive Kathy Klausmeier (D) doesn't yet know how many people lost their jobs in Baltimore County.

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore fears that all 10,000 of Maryland's probationary federal workers could soon be fired as President Donald Trump orders agencies to downsize. Most of the layoffs have targeted probationary employees, those who were recently hired or promoted.

Moore last week unveiled a five-pronged plan to recruit laid-off employees to fill state and county government vacancies.

"There's all kinds of jobs here in Baltimore County. From lawyers to CPAs to people to help do maintenance, we have all sorts of jobs here. Police officers, firefighters," Klausmeier said. "There's thousands of jobs here, and there's jobs that need to be filled."

Trump has cut thousands of federal jobs, from the Environmental Protection Agency to the National Parks Service and beyond. The layoffs come as Elon Musk, the world's richest person, searches for governmental waste with his Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.

Along with laid-off workers, Patch spoke with a federal contractor scouting out opportunities in case her job is eliminated.

The career fair also drew workers from varied backgrounds.

A chef sought a career change six months after he moved to Maryland from Tucson, Arizona.

A fashion merchandiser and University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate browsed for creative design and writing opportunities.

A health care worker of 16 years looked for a career change in the Department of Corrections.

Communications specialist Olivia Morgan was laid off from a Timonium law firm in November 2024 after working there for over a year. Morgan is bartending while she searches for a social media or event planning role. She applies for eight to 15 jobs each day.

"I feel like I'm doing everything, and I'm still not being rewarded with a job," the Baltimore City resident said. "I, myself, just need to know that I'm doing everything I can so I can sleep at night."

Another attendee was a director of human resources. Baltimore City resident Kyrie Bolka was laid off two months ago after five years at a small tech start-up. Bolka now plans to expand her horizons and also consider business development and operations positions.

"[I'm] wanting to get ahead of what could be a lot of competition in the coming months because of all the federal layoffs," Bolka said. "I obviously want to be employed as soon as possible."

Cybersecurity specialist and project manager Chamari McLean has been searching for her next job since August 2024. The Windsor Mill resident is confident in her experience, but feels overlooked among her abundant competitors. McLean is eager to break through application-sifting software and meet a hiring manager in person.

"I have been working since 2013, and I have never seen a market like this. I have never been unemployed for this long. It's really tough out here," McLean said.

McLean has turned toward technology to assist her search. She has used websites like EarnBetter to tailor her resume to specific jobs rather than submitting a generic one.

Workforce Development staff taught similar lessons to Tyrone Washington, one of the IT contractors whose Social Security contract was terminated. Sometimes one well-crafted application is more successful than 10 copied and pasted, Washington said, noting that he learned about using artificial intelligence to bolster his resume.

"The job market has changed since the last time I was unemployed," Washington said. "If I didn't find out about this, I would've been doing it the old way, and I would've gotten nowhere."

Related:

• Nando's Offering Free Chicken To Federal Workers On March 7
• Trump Prepares Order To Close Dept. Of Education: See MD Impacts
• These MD Federal Buildings Could Be 'Designated For Disposal'
• Job Fair Hiring Laid-Off Federal Workers In Baltimore County
• Federal Worker Layoff Survey: Share Your Story With Patch
• Layoffs At NOAA Denounced, MD Leaders Expand Job Resources
• Will MD Residents See DOGE Payments? What To Know
• Trump Administration Seeks Plans On Moving Federal Agencies Out Of DC Region
• MD Lawmakers Protest Trump Cuts, Data Sharing: 'Keep Hands Off Social Security'
• MD Launches Resource Website For Federal Workers Affected By Layoffs