Three Departments Account For More Than Half Of Total Federal Workforce Losses

By Federal News Network, Maryland Matters

September 8, 2025

Just three federal agencies make up more than half of the total federal workforce reductions that have occurred so far under the Trump administration, according to data compiled by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.

The departments of Defense, Treasury and Agriculture have cut their staffing levels this year by a cumulative total of about 106,000 employees, out of an estimated 199,000 federal employees across the government who have left their jobs since January, either voluntarily or by force, the partnership said.

The Defense Department has lost the most, at 55,000 employees, followed by Treasury’s loss of 30,000 employees — mostly from the IRS. The Agriculture Department has 21,000 fewer employees, according to the partnership's data report, which compiles findings from agency documents and media reports.

The partnership, which plans to update its report monthly, attributed the recent jump in workforce reductions to new reports showing that the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs lost more civilian employees to the Deferred Retirement Program (DRP). Along with the 55,000 employees who have left their positions at DoD, the VA has seen roughly 10,300 employees vacate their jobs this year.

The tens of thousands more civilian defense workers who were approved to leave their jobs through the DRP, as first reported by DefenseScoop, make DoD the agency with the largest staffing reduction this year by volume.

“It’s particularly notable that the Department of Defense now has the largest number of workforce reductions at a single agency,” the Partnership said in a statement. “We’ll be watching closely to see how all these departures may impact agency operations there, and ultimately, what this means for our military and national security.”

And the workforce separation numbers at DoD may increase further. Federal News Network reported last month that the Army authorized a third round of the deferred resignation program, opening the door to even more voluntary departures.

Aside from Defense, Treasury and Agriculture, the other seven agencies in the top 10 federal workforce reductions this year are the departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Interior, Energy and Transportation, as well as NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to the Partnership.

Agency headcount reductions will likely continue across government, especially considering that the staffing cuts also come as federal recruitment numbers are stagnating. Most agencies have remained under a hiring freeze since President Donald Trump’s first day in office. The months-long hiring freeze is currently set to lift Oct. 15. Agencies recruiting for law enforcement and national security personnel have been exempted from the freeze and are continuing to recruit new hires.

Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor predicted that, across the government, more than 300,000 total federal employees will leave their jobs by the end of the year.

“The Deferred Resignation Program was a necessary step toward a smarter, leaner, more effective government,” Kupor said in a recent blog post. “If that ruffles a few feathers in Washington, so be it. The American people deserve a workforce built for performance, not permanence.”

The Partnership for Public Service, however, said the federal workforce reductions so far have often occurred “in a haphazard and chaotic manner.”

“This campaign to weaken the federal civil service has targeted the very people who keep our government running and provide essential services that we all rely on every day,” the partnership said.

The nonprofit organization also recently joined forces with Democracy Forward and the American Federation of Government Employees to offer support to recently laid-off federal employees. The coalition launched a new effort last week — called the “You Are Not Alone” project — that provides career guidance, as well as connections to legal and personal support, for impacted individuals.

“Federal employees facing job losses need support now more than ever,” said Jenny Mattingley, vice president of government affairs at the Partnership for Public Service. “It’s important that federal employees have trusted places to go for accurate, plain language resources to help them navigate this time of stress and uncertainty.”

Democracy Forward said it has already launched a pilot of the “You Are Not Alone” project for employees impacted by the recent reductions in force at the State Department.