The United States federal workforce has contracted to approximately 2.7 million employees, marking the lowest level in 60 years, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Since President Trump took office in January 2025, the federal government has shed more than 300,000 workers, an 11% reduction.
The majority of these workforce reductions occurred during Trump's first year back in office, with employment figures stabilizing throughout 2026. Active military personnel, numbering around 1.35 million, and approximately 100,000 employees within intelligence agencies are not included in this BLS assessment.
Federal employment typically surges during Census years, reaching 3.4 million in 2010 and nearly 3.2 million in 2020. However, the federal workforce had reached a 30-year non-Census high of over 3 million employees in January 2025, just prior to Trump's inauguration.
President Trump's campaign included a commitment to reduce the size of the federal government. Elon Musk was reportedly given significant authority to streamline employee payrolls and identify cost savings through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Notable reductions were observed across several federal agencies, including the Departments of Education, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development. The Department of Homeland Security experienced minimal changes in headcount, aligning with the administration's immigration policies.
The largest single decrease in federal employment occurred at the end of September 2025, when over 150,000 federal employees accepted buyout packages. This represented the most substantial single-year departure of civil servants in nearly 80 years.
Despite the significant downsizing, the government has not reported substantial cost savings. In fact, the government spent approximately $244 billion on federal salaries during Trump's first year in office, a 3% increase compared to the same period under former President Joe Biden, according to Treasury Department data. This figure does not account for active military or intelligence agency personnel.
