By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
It may be one of the more coveted jobs in law enforcement, but the tight job market may be having an impact.
The FBI has seen a slump in special agent applicants—from a peak of 68,500 in 2009 to 11,500 in the year that ended in September, reports the Wall Street Journal.
As a result, the FBI is stepping up its recruitment efforts.It’s increased its outreach, targeted women and minorities and relaxed some eligibility requirements, the Journal reports.
“We had a lot of discussion internally about why the number of special agent applicants were fluctuating so much over the years. We were trying to figure out what’s the story,” Peter Sursi, who runs recruitment and hiring at the FBI, tells the Journal.