Trump administration plans 300,000 federal job cuts in 2025
Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor. Photograph: (Reuters)
OPM Director Scott Kupor declined to release agency-by-agency headcount targets, but he confirmed that OPM will publish the figures later. In the meantime, federal agencies are preparing proposals for further workforce reductions, which will be submitted to White House Budget Director.
The Trump administration expects to shed roughly 300,000 federal civilian jobs this year, a move that would shrink the workforce by 12.5 per cent since January, according to newly appointed Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor. Speaking in Washington on August 14, Kupor said the majority of the cuts, about 80 per cent, would come from voluntary departures, while the remaining 20 per cent would be terminations. If realised, the reduction would nearly double the 154,000 employees who accepted buyouts last month, as first reported by Reuters. Kupor’s projection also represents more than a twofold increase over the 5.9 per cent attrition rate recorded in fiscal year 2023, the latest figure compiled by the non-profit Partnership for Public Service.
Push for ‘government efficiency’
US President Donald Trump, who began his second term in January, has made reducing the size of the federal workforce a central priority, arguing that the 2.4 million-member civilian staff is “bloated and inefficient”. Kupor stressed that he cannot compel agency heads to lay off workers but will seek to persuade cabinet secretaries to adopt his vision of streamlining government operations. “I cannot force people to lay people off,” Kupor said, emphasising the need for buy-in from agency leadership to achieve the administration’s efficiency goals. His remarks stand in contrast to the early months of Trump’s second term, when OPM leadership reportedly instructed agencies to dismiss employees who were new to their roles, according to a recent court filing.
More cuts under consideration
While Kupor declined to release agency-by-agency headcount targets, he confirmed that OPM will publish the figures later. In the meantime, federal agencies are preparing proposals for further workforce reductions, which will be submitted to White House Budget Director Russ Vought. These plans will be factored into the president’s upcoming budget request to Congress. Kupor met with budget officials on Wednesday to discuss the process.
The scale of the anticipated cuts could have wide-reaching effects on public services and operations, though the administration maintains they are necessary for long-term fiscal sustainability. Trump’s downsizing push has drawn criticism from some employee unions and policy advocates, who warn that the reductions could weaken federal capacity in areas ranging from regulatory oversight to public health. Still, Kupor framed the changes as a strategic reset rather than an indiscriminate slashing of jobs. “We want to build a government that works smarter, not bigger,” he said.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
(With inputs from agencies)