Overview
- The federal workforce has fallen by more than 352,000 positions since Trump took office, leaving about 2.68 million civilian employees in February, according to BLS figures.
- Pew Research reported 348,219 departures last year and 116,912 new hires, showing a sharp rise in exits and a steep hiring slowdown.
- The biggest cuts hit the Education Department and USAID, with additional reductions at the IRS and across agencies led by the Department of Government Efficiency.
- The drop is described as the largest since post–World War II demobilization and deeper than the workforce cuts of the 1990s.
- Conservative lawmakers and commentators are celebrating the cuts and urging the White House to tout them, while some warn a future Democratic administration could rebuild the ranks.