New government data show the number of federal civilian employees has fallen to its lowest level since 2015 following Trump administration hiring restrictions and voluntary resignations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The size of the U.S. federal civilian workforce has dropped to its lowest level in a decade, according to newly released data from the Office of Personnel Management, reflecting the impact of hiring limits and workforce reductions implemented under President Donald Trump.
As of Jan. 8, there were 2,084,618 federal civilian employees, based on updated OPM workforce figures. While the federal government remains the nation’s single largest employer, the total headcount is now at its lowest point since 2015.
The decline follows a series of executive actions aimed at curbing the size of the federal workforce. On Oct. 15, 2025, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14356, titled Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring. The order built on a prior directive issued in February 2025 that launched a broader workforce optimization initiative and imposed strict hiring ratios across agencies.
Under the February directive, agencies were instructed to hire no more than one new employee for every four departures. According to OPM Director Scott Kupor, that target was exceeded. In a Nov. 21, 2025, OPM report, Kupor said approximately 68,000 federal employees were hired during the year, while about 317,000 employees left government service.
Kupor said the reductions were intended to refocus staffing on core missions and taxpayer value, while eliminating positions viewed as inconsistent with administration priorities. He added that federal hiring standards were also tightened, moving away from self-attested skills toward formal assessments of qualifications.
Agency-level data show uneven impacts across the government. The Department of War, formerly the Department of Defense, remains the largest federal employer, with about 709,352 workers, accounting for more than 34 percent of the total workforce. That figure is down from a peak of 772,549 employees in 2024. OPM also reported that 106,422 nurses currently serve as federal employees, making nursing the largest occupational group.
Other major agencies include the Department of Veterans Affairs, with more than 451,000 employees; the Department of Homeland Security, with over 221,000; the Department of Justice, with more than 107,000; and the Department of the Treasury, with over 92,000 workers.
The VA experienced significant expansion during the previous administration, growing from 429,196 employees to roughly 462,000 by 2025, and peaking at more than 482,000 in 2024. DHS also expanded in recent years, adding nearly 18,000 employees, while DOJ saw a net loss of about 4,652 workers between 2021 and 2025.
Several smaller agencies posted the lowest headcounts, including the Small Business Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Education, OPM, National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, each reporting workforces of roughly 378 employees.
In a year-end statement, OPM said the hiring freeze ensured agencies filled only mission-critical roles and prevented what it described as bureaucratic expansion. The agency also cited the Deferred Resignation Program, launched in January 2025, which resulted in about 154,000 voluntary resignations after employees were offered up to eight months of paid leave to exit government service.
OPM data further show a decline in the share of federal employees represented by labor unions. Currently, about 37.9 percent of federal workers are covered by collective bargaining units, while the number of non-union-eligible positions has increased.
Federal officials said the workforce changes were designed to create a leaner, more accountable government, though the long-term effects on agency capacity and public services remain under review.
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