Walk into any D.C. coffee shop right now and the vibe is... tense. It’s not just the usual political bickering. People are genuinely looking over their shoulders. For a year, the headlines have been screaming about a "chainsaw" being taken to the federal workforce. But if you try to pin down exactly how many government workers have been fired, you’ll find the answer is a lot messier than a single soundbite.
Honestly, the numbers coming out of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tell two parts of a very complicated story.
As of January 2026, the federal government is roughly 10% smaller than it was just 16 months ago. That’s a massive shift. In September 2024, there were about 2.31 million civilian employees. By the start of 2026, that number dropped to approximately 2.08 million. We’re talking about a net loss of over 228,000 people.
But here is where it gets tricky: not everyone was "fired" in the way we think of it.
The DOGE Effect and the "Fork in the Road"
You’ve probably heard of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Led by Elon Musk and, for a while, Vivek Ramaswamy, this group didn't just suggest cuts; they embedded themselves in agencies like the Treasury and the GSA. Their strategy wasn't just mass terminations—though those happened—it was about making it "preferable" to leave.
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Take the "Deferred Resignation Program" (DRP) from early 2025. This was essentially a "leave now or take your chances" offer. About 154,000 federal workers took buyouts or early retirement through this and similar initiatives. For those people, it was a voluntary exit. Sorta.
Then you have the actual, involuntary firings.
The administration hit the gas on "Reductions in Force" (RIFs) and targeted probationary employees—those who had been on the job for less than a year. In February 2025, a directive went out telling agencies they could dismiss these workers without needing much evidence of poor performance. It was a "no need for your services" approach.
Which Agencies Got Hit Hardest?
If you work at the Department of Education or USAID, the past year has been a nightmare. Some of these agencies aren't just smaller; they’re basically skeletal.
- USAID: Reporting suggests a staggering 90% to 95% reduction in force.
- Department of Education: Roughly 46% of the staff is gone.
- The IRS: Lost over 26,000 employees, nearly a 27% drop.
- HHS and CDC: Massive restructuring saw the CDC lose about 24% of its staff by late 2025.
Even the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which usually has some political cover, wasn't safe. In December 2025 alone, the VA cut about 35,000 jobs. When you add that to the 30,000 they lost earlier in the year, you start to see why wait times for veterans are becoming a major talking point again.
It’s not just about the "wasteful bureaucrats" the administration talked about during the campaign. We're seeing deep cuts in healthcare, disaster response, and scientific research.
The FEMA Scare and the 50% Goal
Just this month—January 2026—a leaked spreadsheet from FEMA sent shockwaves through the disaster response community. It outlined a goal to cut the agency’s staff by 50% by the start of the next fiscal year.
FEMA leadership claims this was just a "planning exercise."
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But the "on-call" workforce—the people who actually show up when a hurricane hits—already saw 65 people laid off on January 2nd. When you combine that with the 2,450 who have already left the agency since the start of the second Trump term, the "planning exercise" feels a lot more like a blueprint.
Why the Total Number is Moving Target
If 322,000 people separated from the government in 2025, why is the "net loss" only around 212,000 to 220,000?
The government is still hiring.
Even while the "chainsaw" is out for the Department of Education, the administration is aggressively hiring for the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It’s a shift in priorities, not just a total shutdown.
Also, we have to talk about "Schedule F." This was the executive order that reclassified thousands of career civil servants as "at-will" employees. It stripped away their civil service protections. This move made it legally much easier to fire people who were previously protected by decades of law. While court challenges slowed it down, the Supreme Court eventually gave the green light, and the floodgates opened for political-based removals.
Actionable Insights for the Current Climate
If you are a federal worker or looking to enter the sector, the landscape has fundamentally changed. The old rule—"get a government job for life"—is dead.
Watch the "Essential" Designations
Agencies are being forced to define which roles are "critically necessary." If your job is tied to a "Presidential Priority" (like border security or deregulation), you’re likely safe. If you’re in DEI, climate research, or grant administration, your position is high-risk.
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The Rise of the Contractor
While the civilian workforce is at a decade low, federal spending hasn't vanished. Much of that work is shifting to private contractors. If you've been "separated" from the government, the best move right now is often looking at the firms that are picking up the outsourced work.
Document Everything
For those still in, the "probationary" period is the danger zone. Performance reviews matter more than ever, but so does compliance with the new "in-office" mandates. Telework hours dropped by 75% in 2025. If you aren't at your desk, you are an easy target for a "failure to demonstrate fitness" termination.
The reality of how many government workers have been fired is that we are witnessing the most significant shrinking of the federal government since the post-WWII era. Whether it's "draining the swamp" or "gutting essential services" depends entirely on who you ask, but the data is clear: the era of the stable, untouchable federal career is over.