About 154,000 federal employees—6.7% of the civilian workforce—have accepted buyouts under a Trump administration initiative to reduce government staff.
The program began in January with an email titled “Fork in the Road” from Elon Musk, a former Trump adviser, and was later expanded across multiple agencies. The 2024 attrition rate surpasses the 5.9% recorded in 2023, per the Partnership for Public Service. The 154,000 figure excludes employees who were fired or joined other payroll reduction programs, such as early retirement incentives.
“In normal times, a 6.7% turnover rate would not be unusual for the federal government,” said Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy. “But these are not normal times. Along with the firing of probationary employees and other large-scale reductions in force, the deferred resignation program deeply cuts government capacity.”
The Office of Personnel Management, leading President Trump’s effort to reduce the federal workforce, confirmed the figure and called the program a cost-saving measure, stating: “Ultimately, the program was not only legal, it provided over 150,000 civil servants a dignified and generous departure from the federal government.”
Employees accepted buyouts as Trump and Musk moved to cut their jobs, receiving several months’ pay after leaving. All will be off the payroll by year’s end. Shortly after the first offer closed, the administration fired tens of thousands of recent hires, with more cuts expected, according to cabinet officials.
