The Trump administration is actively pursuing a major reduction in the federal civilian workforce, with projections indicating that 300,000 employees—around 12.5% of the total—will leave their positions by the end of 2025. According to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor, 80% of these departures will be voluntary, while 20% will be firings. This would mark the sharpest contraction of the federal workforce in decades, nearly doubling recent attrition rates.
Kupor emphasized that the administration cannot mandate mass layoffs and instead must persuade agency leaders to support this push for efficiency. The federal civilian workforce currently totals 2.4 million, excluding military personnel and postal workers. Despite its size, federal employment represents just under 2% of the national civilian workforce, according to Pew Research.
This downsizing effort is part of President Trump’s broader second-term initiative to create a “leaner, faster, and cheaper” government. To support this goal, Trump launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initially led by Elon Musk. DOGE aimed to eliminate waste and cut payroll, with Musk originally pledging to slash $2 trillion from the budget—later revised to $1 trillion. By April, DOGE claimed to be on track to cut $150 billion.
However, Musk’s tenure ended following a public dispute with Trump, and Kupor, a former venture capital executive, took over. While Musk brought a bold vision, Kupor has taken a more systematic approach, focusing on voluntary exits and buyouts rather than abrupt dismissals.
Still, the proposed cuts have raised concerns across Washington. The 300,000 projected departures more than double recent federal attrition rates, and although most will be voluntary, firings are still being considered. Legal challenges by unions are underway, citing risks of politically motivated purges.
Supporters of the cuts see them as necessary for streamlining government. Critics argue that such drastic reductions could undermine essential public services.
