US government workforce shrinks by 12% since September 2024

By Courtney Rozen

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. government’s civilian workforce shrank by 12% between September 2024 and January 2026, according to government data published on Wednesday, reflecting President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to cut government jobs.

The figures show Trump has fulfilled a pledge to slash the size of federal agencies, which he argued were bloated, although it remains to be seen whether the cuts will make them more efficient.

Separate data, also published by the federal government’s HR office – the Office of Personnel Management – showed the majority of employees who exited under Trump left their jobs through voluntary resignations or early retirements, with a smaller percentage leaving due to layoffs.

Administrative staff, customer service representatives and IT managers topped the list of positions that left the government after Trump took office in January 2025. 

“This effort ensures taxpayer dollars support a workforce that delivers efficient, responsive and high-quality services,” said OPM Director Scott Kupor in a statement.

Trump enlisted billionaire Elon Musk and his team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, to lead the effort to shrink the U.S. government workforce. Musk left the administration in May 2025.

The figures are expected to shift as judges consider lawsuits challenging the firings. Judges in some of the cases have ordered the administration to rehire specific employees, including staff fired during a 2025 government shutdown. 

The cuts were felt across the government, with agencies such as the Treasury Department and Health and Human Services seeing relatively large decreases of 24% and 20% respectively between September 2024 and January 2026.

An exception to the cuts was the Department of Homeland Security, which handles immigration enforcement and grew by less than 1% over the time period. Trump has made arresting and deporting immigrants a central pillar of his presidency. The agency has focused on hiring investigators, inspectors, border patrol agents and enforcement staff since Trump took office, according to the data. 

(Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Nia Williams)