Government Contracting Boom Could Fizzle Out

[RedlightG20]

Contracting Boom Could Fizzle Out

Jobs Would Return to Pentagon

The recent surge in the Washington area's defense-contracting workforce would begin to ebb under Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's latest budget proposal as the Pentagon moves to replace legions of private workers with full-time civil servants.

The budget would reverse a contracting boom, beginning after the 2001 terrorist attacks, in which the proportion of private contractors grew to 39 percent of the Pentagon's workforce. Gates said he wants to reduce that percentage to a pre-Sept. 11 level of 26 percent.

The government said it would hire as many as 13,000 civil servants to replace contractors in the coming year and up to 39,000 over the next five years.

Roughly 7.5 percent of metropolitan Washington's labor force -- about 291,000 jobs -- is tied to Pentagon contracting. Defense analysts and government contracting experts said Gates's move could affect companies such as CACI and SAIC, which do large amounts of government contracting work, offering technical services, administrative support, database outsourcing and contract management.

Local giants Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics also run substantial government-support operations and would see some weapons projects cut, while other programs would receive budget increases

"The reduction of nearly one-third of the contractor workforce at the Pentagon is going to be a mortal blow to companies that have built their businesses through outsourcing," said Loren Thompson, a defense consultant. The Obama administration wants "more of the skill in the government rather than contracting out."

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[Thiebear]

So were saying the government employees have NOTHING else to do and sit idly by?

We could just absorb the 32,000 jobs.. (i guess this is why the MDW(military district of washington) area has a 4.6% jobless rate?

Having worked in and with the government from 1985-2000... good luck with that. (what you thought was expensive with contractors will eventually cost at least as much and take twice as long to be done half assed.)

and everyone will be SHOCKED i tell you. SHOCKED.

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly what I was scared about when they elected Obama

Repub Pres = Tons of contracting work

Dem Pres = Very little

[RedlightG20]

Having worked in and with the government from 1985-2000... good luck with that. (what you thought was expensive with contractors will eventually cost at least as much and take twice as long to be done half assed.)

and everyone will be SHOCKED i tell you. SHOCKED.

Exactly. I would agree that this move could potentially save money if government employees weren't allowed to be so lackadaisical. Not saying all gov employees are lazy asses, but in my experience, many of them have a knack for pushing tasks onto the contractors, and the blue badgers are never on time with projects. It's sad that the people who work the least have the best job security.

[hockeysc23]

Exactly. I would agree that this move could potentially save money if government employees weren't allowed to be so lackadaisical. Not saying all gov employees are lazy asses, but in my experience, many of them have a knack for pushing tasks onto the contractors, and the blue badgers are never on time with projects. It's sad that the people who work the least have the best job security.

Not to mention there are huge incentives for NOT saving money. Don't dare mention you can save an agency money or they will go nuts because there budget will be cut.