Trump Administration Cuts Federal Workforce to 2.67 Million, Lowest Since 1966

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 2

BLS data showed 2.67 million federal civilian employees in August, down from just over 3 million when Donald Trump took office and marking the smallest workforce in roughly 60 years.
The cuts were driven by Trump’s pledge to shrink government, with OPM saying the Deferred Resignation Program alone will save more than $20 billion a year.
IRS downsizing has already hit collections: revenue from examinations fell 35% to $6.5 billion in fiscal 2025 from about $10 billion in 2024 after examination and collection staffing dropped by nearly 10,000.
The reductions were uneven, hitting Education, Agriculture and HUD especially hard while Homeland Security staffing stayed largely intact to support Trump’s immigration agenda.
Savings have been offset by transition costs and limited budget relief, with GAO citing $6.7 billion paid to deferred-resignation participants and federal salary spending still 3% higher in Trump’s first year than in Biden’s.