Pew Research Analysis Finds Nearly 238,000 Federal Jobs Eliminated In 2025 As Administration Pushes To Reduce Government Spending
Monday, March 16, 2026, 2:15 P.M. ET. 4 Minute Read, By Haylee Ficuciello, Senior Correspondent: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- A new analysis by the Pew Research Center shows the federal government’s civilian workforce declined by roughly 10 percent during President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, a shift that represents one of the most significant reductions in federal personnel in modern American history.
According to Pew’s analysis of federal employment data compiled by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the number of civilian federal employees fell by approximately 10.3 percent in 2025, equating to nearly 238,000 positions eliminated across federal agencies.
The reductions occurred through a combination of layoffs, early retirements, voluntary buyouts, and attrition programs encouraged by the administration as part of its broader effort to shrink the size of the federal government and reduce federal spending.
A Central Goal of the Administration;
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump has repeatedly argued that the federal government had grown too large and inefficient. His administration introduced a series of policy initiatives designed to streamline federal agencies and move workers from government employment into the private sector.
Key measures included:
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A government-wide federal hiring freeze on many positions
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Expanded voluntary buyout and early retirement programs
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Agency-specific workforce reductions
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Structural reorganizations across major departments
The hiring freeze and related policies were introduced through early executive actions and were intended to gradually shrink the workforce by preventing agencies from replacing departing employees.
Administration officials have argued that reducing federal payroll costs is necessary to curb long-term deficits and improve government efficiency.
Where The Cuts Occurred;
Pew’s analysis indicates that reductions were not evenly distributed across government agencies. Some departments experienced particularly steep declines in staffing.
Among the agencies with the largest percentage reductions were:
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The Department of Education
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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
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Several federal scientific and research agencies
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Administrative divisions across multiple cabinet departments
Meanwhile, agencies tied to national security or law enforcement experienced smaller staffing changes, reflecting statutory responsibilities that require stable personnel levels.
Even before these cuts, the federal civilian workforce stood at roughly 2.4 million employees nationwide, excluding the U.S. Postal Service and members of the armed forces.
Because federal workers are spread across every state and represent a wide range of occupations, from scientists and engineers to air traffic controllers, veterans’ health-care providers, and law-enforcement officers, reductions in personnel have ripple effects throughout both the economy and the delivery of government services.
Budget Implications;
Supporters of the workforce reduction say the move could generate significant long-term savings.
Personnel costs represent one of the largest categories of federal spending outside entitlement programs and defense procurement. Salaries, benefits, and retirement obligations collectively cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars annually.
Advocates of smaller government argue that reducing payroll expenditures can help stabilize federal finances and limit bureaucratic expansion.
While exact fiscal savings will depend on future budgets and agency structures, analysts say a workforce decline of more than 200,000 employees could reduce federal personnel spending by tens of billions of dollars over time.
Critics Warn Of Service Disruptions;
Not everyone views the reductions as beneficial.
Critics, including labor unions, government watchdog groups, and some members of Congress, argue that rapid staffing reductions could weaken the federal government’s ability to carry out key functions.
In some agencies, workforce cuts have reportedly contributed to slower processing times for public records requests and regulatory reviews.
Other observers warn that expertise lost through layoffs and early retirements may be difficult to replace if agencies later need to rebuild capacity.
Still, supporters of the policy maintain that modern technology and organizational reforms will allow agencies to operate more efficiently with fewer employees.
A Historic Workforce Shift;
Historically, the size of the federal workforce has remained relatively stable for decades, even as the U.S. population and the overall economy expanded significantly.
The latest data analyzed by the Pew Research Center suggests that 2025 marked one of the largest single-year declines in federal employment in recent decades.
Whether the reductions continue will depend on future budget decisions, congressional appropriations, and the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to restructure federal agencies.
For now, the findings highlight a fundamental shift in the role and size of the federal bureaucracy during the early phase of Trump’s second presidency.
This report was written by Haylee Ficuciello, Senior Correspondent, and is based on publicly available federal employment data analyzed by the Pew Research Center using records from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s FedScope database. The figures cited refer to the federal civilian workforce and exclude U.S. Postal Service employees, intelligence agency personnel not publicly reported in OPM datasets, and uniformed members of the armed forces. The Pew analysis determined that the federal workforce declined by approximately 10.3 percent in 2025, representing a net reduction of roughly 238,000 positions across federal agencies.
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