ST. LOUIS—On a day that protesters marched, carried signs and demonstrated outside of the Cochran VA hospital downtown in support of federal workers, St. Louis County had a message for federal employees dismissed by the Trump administration or worried they might be: come work for us.

“I know these employees are dedicated, they’re qualified, and they understand the importance of government work,” Page said. 

County Councilman Mark Harder approached Page about setting up a “one-stop shop” for federal employees who might be looking for a new job. The end result is featured section of the county’s website and a phone hotline that will be staffed during business hours that will be available for people with questions about the process.

Harder, a Republican, defended the Trump administration’s move to trim the federal workforce but sees the opportunity for the county to be a landing spot. 

“We do have a bloated bureaucracy but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your career in these positions. If you have these skill sets that we have here, we could use those in St. Louis county. Just because one government maybe is not as efficient, doesn’t mean we’re not and we need these people as well,” he said.

While some positions, including police officers and others may require more screening, Harder said the hope is that someone who applies today could be on the job in a month.