The Trump administration reduced the federal workforce by nearly 54,000 employees and cut payroll by $1.86 billion during its first year in 2025. [1]
A report from the taxpayer watchdog group OpenTheBooks showed the total number of federal workers dropped from 1,506,603 to 1,452,891. These figures do not include staff at the Department of War or the US Postal Service, which employ more than 3 million active duty, reserve, and civilian workers combined.
Efforts Led by DOGE
Early in the year, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency led many of these cuts. The department, which closed in July, shut down the US Agency for International Development. Up to 3,500 workers left their roles when that agency closed and merged its remaining duties with the State Department.
Up to 3,500 workers left their roles when that agency closed and merged its remaining duties with the State Department.
The White House Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management also helped drive the workforce reductions. OPM Director Scott Kupor noted last December that at least 249,000 people had left federal jobs. Â Most of those departures were voluntary.
Agency Cuts and Hiring Surges
In total, 94 federal agencies reduced their staff sizes, while 11 made no changes. Â The Department of Veterans Affairs saw the largest drop, losing 21,428 employees. The Department of Health and Human Services cut 13,580 jobs. Â The Department of Education lost 1,518 workers, which makes up about 36% of its staff.
The Department of Veterans Affairs saw the largest drop, losing 21,428 employees.
Not all departments shrank. Twenty-one agencies hired more workers. The Department of Homeland Security added 8,043 people to support mass deportations and border security. The Department of the Interior hired more than 3,000 workers, and the Department of Transportation added nearly 1,000.
These changes mark a shift from the previous administration. During former President Joe Biden’s final year in office, the federal headcount grew by more than 13,000 workers, and salary spending went up by more than $10 billion.
Notes:
- ^Christenson, J. (2026). Over 50K federal employees and their $2B in salaries eliminated under Trump in 2025 – New York Post. NY Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/us-news/more-than-50000-federal-employees-2b-in-salaries-eliminated-under-trump-in-2025/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost (go back ↩)
