The Defense Department is set to eliminate between 50,000 and 60,000 civilian positions, a senior defense official said Tuesday.
Fewer than 21,000 employees who opted for voluntary resignation will be leaving in the coming months. To meet the target of reducing the civilian workforce—currently over 900,000—by 5% to 8%, the department plans to cut about 6,000 jobs per month by not replacing workers who leave through attrition.
The Pentagon is implementing the cuts through three primary methods: voluntary resignations, termination of probationary employees, and the elimination of positions left vacant by departing workers. Military branches and Pentagon leadership are reviewing personnel on a case-by-case basis to ensure reductions do not impact critical national security roles.
While the official acknowledged that military veterans would be among those affected, they declined to provide an estimate but conceded it could be in the thousands. The official added that Pete Hegseth, overseeing aspects of the restructuring, remains confident the reductions can be achieved without compromising military readiness.
The job reductions are part of a broader initiative led by the Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at shrinking the federal workforce and restructuring U.S. agencies.
