Approximately 20,000 federal employees have accepted voluntary buyout offers from the Trump administration, falling significantly short of White House targets, a senior administration official told Axios on Tuesday.
The departures represent roughly 1% of the federal workforce, well below the administration’s goal of a 5% to 10% reduction. The buyout window remains open through Thursday.
Under the program, federal workers can leave their positions immediately while receiving pay through September 30. The initiative faces opposition from unions who question its legality and congressional authorization.
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The administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited ongoing changes at USAID as evidence of broader restructuring efforts. Officials continue to pursue an agency-wide hiring freeze, though implementation has proven challenging with some departments still recruiting.
Critics argue the program requires congressional approval and lacks guaranteed payment mechanisms. The administration maintains the initiative aligns with its government restructuring agenda.
Recent trends also show that federal agencies typically lose about 6% of their workforce each year through routine departures and retirements, making it difficult to determine how many employees were specifically motivated by the buyout offer.
The administration expects additional acceptances before the Thursday deadline, the official said.
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