More than 100,000 federal employees will officially resign on Tuesday under the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, marking the largest single-year drop in the civilian federal workforce since World War II.
The wave of departures comes as Congress faces a Tuesday deadline to approve additional funding or risk a government shutdown. Federal agencies have been instructed by the White House to prepare large-scale layoffs if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement.
Administration officials have defended the program, saying the upfront cost will lead to long-term savings by reducing the federal payroll. The Office of Personnel Management argued that outdated civil service protections hinder efficiency and called for a shift to a “modern, at-will employment framework like most employers.”
A White House spokesperson maintained the program imposes “no additional cost to the government,” emphasizing that salaries would have been paid regardless. “In fact, this is the largest and most effective workforce reduction plan in history and will save the government $28 billion annually,” the spokesperson said.
Including delayed resignations, voluntary separations, attrition, and early retirements, total departures are expected to reach roughly 275,000 federal workers. Several thousand more have already been removed through administration-ordered reductions in force.
