Federal civilian workforce shrank by 256,000 in 2025, watchdog says
A government watchdog found the federal civilian workforce fell nearly 11.3% in 2025, providing the first full accounting of cuts under the Trump administration.
The federal civilian workforce declined by nearly 256,000 employees — an 11.3% reduction — across every major agency in 2025, a government watchdog report confirmed. The report is the first comprehensive accounting of workforce cuts carried out under the Trump administration.