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Interior Offers Deferred Resignations and Early Retirement in New Downsizing Push

Leaders call it modernization without stating how many jobs could go.

United States Department of the Interior logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
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Interior Department officials did not spell out a specific headcount reduction goal as part of the offer or say what would happen if it falls short of any such goal.

Overview

  • Interior rolled out a Deferred Resignation Program that lets most full-time staff leave government after a paid leave period, along with a voluntary early-retirement option.
  • Employees must apply by April 12, then stop working after April 29 while staying on the payroll through September before their exit.
  • The offer excludes people hired in the past year and time-limited staff, and it carves out many roles in law enforcement, oil and gas permitting, and wildfire work.
  • Employees report burnout and few outside job openings, factors that could limit take-up after a roughly 20% workforce drop, or about 13,000 departures, over the past 15 months.
  • Interior set no numeric target for departures and has signaled it is not pursuing layoffs, leaving the scale and mission impact to hinge on how many volunteer to go.