Mass Federal Workforce Exodus: A Reshaped Government Landscape
The Trump administration sees 154,000 federal employees take buyouts in 2023 as part of a strategy to reduce the federal workforce. The initiative, begun by Elon Musk's advisory efforts, impacted 6.7% of the civilian workforce. The program included generous compensation but faced broader critique on its impact on government capacity.
Roughly 154,000 federal employees accepted buyouts in 2023, marking a significant effort by the Trump administration to trim the nation's workforce. The voluntary departures, comprising about 6.7% of the civilian federal workforce, stem from a program initiated by Elon Musk, a former adviser to President Donald Trump.
The surprising exodus, as first covered by the Washington Post, remains slightly above the typical 5.9% attrition rate reported by the Partnership for Public Service. The figures exclude those fired or retiring early under separate federal payroll reduction initiatives.
According to Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy, such turnover rates might appear normal, but current political conditions amplify their impact. The Office of Personnel Management backed the initiative as a cost-saving measure, ensuring compensation continued for some time after employees left service.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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