Federal Jobs: Easy to Spot, Hard to Get

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The federal government's "help wanted" sign is up. The problem, applicants are finding, is getting in the door.

More than a quarter-million federal workers are expected to be hired in the next three years, which makes the government attractive to job seekers at a time of 9.8% unemployment and shrinking private payrolls. But the government, it turns out, isn't very good at hiring. Its screening process has been making it hard for applicants, particularly young ones with less work experience and fewer government contacts, to move into federal jobs.