The government is having a hard time hiring

Government employers are competing for workers in a super-tight labor market, and they have less to offer: The jobs typically pay less, for starters.

“The postal service and public schools can’t offer workers higher pay,” said Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, in an email to Axios. “People have fled the public sector for the private sector, where signing bonuses and faster wage growth have been far more accessible.”

Details: Government budgets set pay bands, which are harder to change in response to competition.

And while private-sector employers are offering hybrid and remote options, government work isn’t typically as flexible.