WASHINGTON: Over 154,000 US federal employees are set to leave their posts this week, in what officials are calling the largest single-year exodus of civil servants in nearly 80 years.
The wave of resignations began on Tuesday, as participants in a deferred exit programme who had remained on the payroll through the end of September started officially stepping down. Many of these employees had already vacated their positions months earlier and were effectively on extended paid leave, according to the federal government’s human resources office.
This mass departure stems from a buyout initiative introduced under President Donald Trump’s administration, which aimed to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce.
The programme offered financial incentives to those who chose to resign, while also putting pressure on employees who declined the offer with the threat of potential dismissal.
Policy experts and government officials warn that the long-term impact could be severe. Don Moynihan, professor at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy, emphasised the loss of institutional knowledge and expertise.
“This is a major brain drain,” Moynihan said as quoted by Reuters news agency. “It takes years to build the deep knowledge required to effectively run government programs. Much of that expertise is now walking out the door.”
The sharp loss of expertise is increasingly hindering the ability of many federal agencies to function effectively and serve the public, according to interviews with a dozen current and former government employees and union officials, Reuters reported.
Sources, cited by Reuters, said that the recent wave of buyouts has disrupted a wide range of government functions—from weather forecasting and food safety to public health programs and space exploration.
‘Massive disruption in offices’
At the National Weather Service (NWS), nearly 200 employees accepted buyouts, including vital technical staff responsible for maintaining forecasting equipment and many experienced meteorologists, Reuters reported.
“This has caused massive disruption in offices across the country,” said Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organisation.
Jasmine Blackwell, spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which oversees the NWS, said that hiring is continuing on an as-needed basis “to ensure both the safety of Americans and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.”
Historically, the largest post-war reduction in federal employment occurred under Democratic President Bill Clinton, who cut more than 430,000 federal jobs—about 20% of the workforce—during his eight-year tenure.
However, those reductions were offset by a booming private sector, fueled by a red-hot economy and rapid tech expansion that created over 22 million private-sector jobs. As a result, Clinton’s workforce cuts left little visible impact on the broader job market.
NASA Brain Drain
Nearly 4,000 NASA employees accepted buyout offers from the Trump administration during two rounds in January and April, according to Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents 8,000 NASA workers.
“The agency is losing some of the most brilliant engineers and aeronautic scientists in the world, and they are not being replaced,” Biggs said as quoted by Reuters.
Cheryl Warner, a NASA spokesperson, said the agency is pursuing a “golden age” of exploration and innovation, including to the moon and Mars.
“The agency will continue to assess the types of skills and roles needed to meet our priorities,” she said.
