Iowa still plans to hire new workers

Officials say there's no plan to stop hiring state workers to replace the more than 2,000 employees who took early retirement last year.

Dick Oshlo, the current director of the Department of Management, says the office isn't planning to halt hirings before Gov.-elect Terry Branstad takes office in January.

The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa's state government has already replaced nearly a quarter of those workers. Gov. Chet Culver's administration has outlined roughly 1,100 positions to be refilled.

The early retirement program has saved the state a projected $85 million and had the support of Democrats and Republicans during this year's legislative session.

Branstad has called for further review of the positions to be restored.