Here are the numbers.
The Trump administration has significantly reduced the size of the federal workforce during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, cutting more than 53,000 federal jobs while reducing government payroll costs by nearly $2 billion, according to a new report from government watchdog OpenTheBooks.
The findings highlight one of the administration’s most ambitious efforts to shrink the federal government, a key campaign promise aimed at reducing taxpayer spending and streamlining Washington’s bureaucracy.
Federal Workforce Shrinks by More Than 53,000 Employees
According to OpenTheBooks’ latest “Swamp Update,” the number of federal civilian employees declined from 1,506,603 in 2024 to 1,452,891 in 2025, representing a reduction of 53,712 workers compared to the final year of the Biden administration.
The report also found that the federal government’s annual payroll decreased by approximately $1.86 billion during Trump’s first year back in office.
The figures stand in sharp contrast to the previous administration. During President Joe Biden’s final year, federal payroll expenses increased by more than $10 billion, while the civilian workforce grew by over 13,000 employees.
OpenTheBooks noted that its analysis does not include personnel from the Department of Defense or the U.S. Postal Service, focusing instead on the broader civilian federal workforce.
Government Efficiency Initiative Drove Early Reductions
Much of the early downsizing was led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the cost-cutting initiative previously headed by entrepreneur Elon Musk. Although DOGE officially concluded its operations earlier this summer, it played a central role in identifying agencies for restructuring and workforce reductions.
One of the administration’s most significant actions involved the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Thousands of employees left the agency as its remaining operations were transferred to the State Department, ending billions of dollars in government-funded programs that administration officials argued were no longer aligned with U.S. priorities.
Additional workforce reductions were coordinated through the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which have continued implementing the administration’s broader government reform agenda.
Nearly 250,000 Employees Have Left Federal Service
Last December, OPM Director Scott Kupor reported that roughly 249,000 federal employees had departed government service since Trump’s return to office.
According to Kupor, most employees left voluntarily, while approximately 17,000 workers were dismissed through formal reductions in force.
OpenTheBooks found that 94 federal agencies reduced staffing during the past year. At the same time, 21 agencies expanded their workforce, while **11 agencies maintained staffing levels similar to the previous year.
Veterans Affairs and HHS See Largest Workforce Reductions
Among individual agencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs experienced the largest decrease in personnel, with 21,428 employees leaving the agency.
The Department of Health and Human Services followed with a reduction of 13,580 employees.
The Department of Education, which President Trump has repeatedly proposed eliminating, reduced its workforce by 1,518 employees, representing roughly 36% of its staff.
Homeland Security Expands Hiring
While many agencies became smaller, others expanded to support key administration priorities.
The Department of Homeland Security recorded the largest increase in hiring, adding 8,043 employees to strengthen border security, immigration enforcement, and related public safety operations.
The Department of the Interior also expanded by adding more than 3,000 employees, while the Department of Transportation hired nearly 1,000 additional workers.
A Major Shift in Federal Employment
The OpenTheBooks report illustrates a significant shift in the size and cost of the federal government during Trump’s second term. Supporters say the workforce reductions represent an effort to improve efficiency, reduce government spending, and deliver savings for taxpayers. Critics argue that fewer employees could affect the delivery of some federal services.
With additional government restructuring efforts still underway, the administration has indicated that reducing the size of the federal workforce and limiting federal spending will remain central priorities throughout President Trump’s second term.
Why this matters: The report offers one of the clearest snapshots yet of how the Trump administration is reshaping the federal government. Whether viewed as a long-overdue effort to reduce bureaucracy or a major restructuring of the federal workforce, the changes represent one of the largest shifts in government employment in recent years.
