Report: IRS picks up hiring pace

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is hiring new workers more quickly, in part because of automation and improved control of the process, an audit found.

The Treasury Department's inspector general for tax administration reported the IRS is close to meeting a goal -- set by the Office of Personnel Management -- of bringing new hires into the department with 80 days, The Hill reported Wednesday. That's compared with the average 125 days it took in 2009 to hire workers.

The inspector general's report said the IRS "will need to continue to focus on keeping hiring timelines low and making additional improvements."

"If not, as the economy improves and the IRS competes more with the private sector, the IRS may encounter difficulties attracting highly qualified candidates," the report said.

The report notes the IRS, which currently has about 100,000 employees, is operating under a hiring freeze, but routinely brings on more workers around this time each year to handle the increased workload associated with the April 15 income tax filing deadline.