Tens of thousands of employees across the federal government have left their jobs, been put on leave or been fired as a part of the government-gutting initiative of the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk. Federal agencies have been directed to make plans to reduce their work forces even further.
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Based on the latest available information, reductions could affect at least 12 percent of the 2.4 million civilian federal workers — a number that could grow as more of the agencies’ plans come into focus.
The so-called Department of Government Efficiency — created by executive order — has circumvented a Republican-controlled Congress, which has chosen not to check its authority. Still, it has been subject to frequent legal challenges, and many of those fired so far have been reinstated and put on paid leave, following court orders.
No official tally of cuts to the federal work force exists. Here are the layoffs, buyouts taken and planned reductions, by agency, that The New York Times has confirmed through verified sources within federal agencies, court filings and press and public statements.
Reduction so far: 11%
Total planned reduction: 19%
Confirmed cuts*About800Confirmed buyoutsAbout500More planned reductionsMore than1,000
Reduction so far: 12%
Total planned reduction: 64%
Confirmed cuts*At least210Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUp to900
Reduction so far: 2%
Total planned reduction: 6%
Confirmed cuts*About10Confirmed buyoutsAbout21,000More planned reductionsUp to39,000
Reduction so far: 46%
Total planned reduction: 46%
Confirmed cuts*About1,380Confirmed buyoutsAbout570More planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: 3%
Total planned reduction: 10%
Confirmed cuts*At least560Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsAt least1,150
Reduction so far: 16%
Total planned reduction: 16%
Confirmed cuts*About13,250Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: More than 99%
Confirmed cutsUp to160Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: More than 99%
Confirmed cuts*About150Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: Less than 1%
Confirmed cutsAbout240Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: 4%
Total planned reduction: 14%
Confirmed cuts*At least310Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsAt least930
Reduction so far: Less than 1%
Confirmed cuts*At least60Confirmed buyoutsAt least80More planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: Less than 1%
Confirmed cutsAbout20Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: 5%
Total planned reduction: 46%
Confirmed cuts*About300Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsAbout2,700
Reduction so far: Less than 1%
Total planned reduction: 12%
Confirmed cutsAt least190Confirmed buyoutsAt least20More planned reductionsAbout7,000
Reduction so far: Less than 1%
Confirmed cutsAbout60Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: 13%
Total planned reduction: 50%
Confirmed cuts*About7,320Confirmed buyoutsUp to5,000More planned reductionsUp to37,500
Reduction so far: More than 99%
Total planned reduction: More than 99%
Confirmed cutsAbout1,300Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: More than 99%
Total planned reduction: More than 99%
Confirmed cuts*About10,000Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUnknown
Reduction so far: Less than 1%
Total planned reduction: 17%
Confirmed cuts*About1,960Confirmed buyoutsUnknownMore planned reductionsUp to80,900
Notes and Methodology
The figures above are most likely an undercount. Agencies that have let go of an unspecified number of employees are not reflected here.
Outside of the general effort to shrink the size of the federal work force and gut diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Mr. Trump has also targeted specific individuals at a number of independent agencies, many of which are also not reflected here.
Most federal agencies have not made verified numbers public, and no centralized database of confirmed figures exists. As a result, The New York Times compiled data from sources within the federal agencies, court documents and press statements.
Confirmed cuts: The number of federal workers who have been sent termination notices, fired, laid off, placed on administrative leave, sent home or who were told to halt work, regardless of subsequent reinstatements because of court order or agency reversals.
Confirmed buyouts: In February, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management said that about 75,000 workers across departments had accepted deferred resignation offers. Confirmed buyouts shown here do not reflect that entire total, and they are shown only when information about the number of buyouts at a particular agency level is known.
More planned reductions: Can include a combination of buyouts, firings and layoffs. In some cases, the breakdown between the three categories was not specified.
To determine the amount of the proposed reduction in each agency or subagency’s work force, The Times compiled these numbers into a database alongside data on agency size, as of September 2024, from the O.P.M. database on federal employment. More recent numbers on agency sizes were used where available.
The Times would like to hear about your experience as a federal worker under the second Trump administration. We may reach out about your submission, but we will not publish any part of your response without contacting you first.