Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce staffing across agencies resulted in the loss of over 317,000 federal employees in 2025, a 13.7% decrease compared to September 2024.
- The administration’s changes resulted in a net staffing decrease of about 10.8% when combining both attrition and hiring data.
- Federal workforce experts argue that the administration’s reductions have created "dangerous gaps" in key federal services, such as food safety inspection and veterans’ healthcare.
- The workforce cuts have had a "chilling effect" on leaders across the career civil service, leading to increases in stress and loneliness, as well as a decline in employee engagement.
- Some agencies, such as the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, and Treasury, have been hit harder than others, with significant staffing reductions.
Introduction to the Federal Workforce Reductions
The year 2025 has been tumultuous for the federal workforce, with the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce staffing across agencies resulting in significant losses. According to Office of Personnel Management data, the federal government lost over 317,000 employees in 2025, a 13.7% decrease compared to September 2024. This reduction is a result of the administration’s goal to "downsize the federal workforce," as outlined in the new President’s Management Agenda. Despite the losses, 68,000 new federal employees joined the civil service during 2025, according to OPM Director Scott Kupor.
The Impact of the Workforce Reductions
The workforce reductions have had a significant impact on the federal government, with many agencies facing staffing shortages. The top three agencies facing staffing reductions are the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, and Treasury, with Treasury’s reductions mostly concentrated within the IRS. The Department of Defense lost over 61,600 employees during 2025, a total of about 8% of its total workforce. The Treasury Department lost more than 31,600 employees, yielding a staffing reduction of nearly 28%. The USDA lost more than 21,600 employees, resulting in a roughly 22% staffing decrease overall. These reductions have resulted in "dangerous gaps" in key federal services, such as food safety inspection, Social Security processing, veterans’ healthcare, and disaster response.
The Effects on Federal Employees and Communities
The workforce reductions have also had a significant impact on federal employees and communities. According to a survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, 46% of respondents said they or someone they know had been impacted by the government cuts. This is up from 29% of respondents who said the same in March. The reductions have also led to increases in stress and loneliness, as well as a decline in employee engagement. Federal employees are experiencing disruptions in the workplace at a rate far higher than the national average, according to a recent Gallup survey. Close to one-third of federal employees say their workplace has been disrupted "to a very large extent," nearly triple the 10% of U.S. employees who say the same.
The Administration’s Perspective
The Trump administration has touted the results of the workforce reductions as exceeding their goals. OPM Director Scott Kupor stated that relatively few losses were due to reductions in force (RIFs) and firings of probationary employees, with over 92% of employees who left their jobs doing so voluntarily through the deferred resignation program (DRP). However, some federal workforce experts argue that the administration’s reductions have created a "forced exodus" of experienced employees, resulting in a loss of expertise and knowledge in the federal workforce. The administration’s goal is to target cuts of "unnecessary positions" and "poor performers," while emphasizing more efficiency.
The Future of the Federal Workforce
The workforce reductions are likely to continue into 2026 and beyond, with many career officials becoming more cautious about offering professional advice due to the "chilling effect" of the changes. The reductions have also led to concerns about the long-term impact on the federal workforce and the services it provides. As the federal government continues to evolve, it is essential to consider the impact of the workforce reductions on employees, communities, and the overall effectiveness of the government. The Trump administration’s goal of downsizing the federal workforce may have been achieved in the short term, but the long-term consequences of these reductions remain to be seen.