September 30, 2025

A huge wave of over 100,000 federal workers will officially quit on Tuesday under the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program — the biggest single-year drop in civilian federal jobs since World War II! This massive exit comes as Congress struggles to approve new funding or risk a government shutdown. Meanwhile, the White House has told federal agencies to prepare big layoff plans if political talks fail. The program is pricey, with costs reaching $14.8 billion. Around 200,000 workers will get full pay and benefits even while on administrative leave for up to eight months, according to a report by Senate Democrats in July. But Trump officials defend this. The Office of Personnel Management says these upfront costs will save money in the long run by shrinking the government. They want to change federal jobs to a modern “at-will employment” style, like in private companies. A White House spokesperson claimed, “there was no additional cost to the government” since workers would be paid anyway. The spokesperson bragged, “this is the largest and most effective workforce reduction plan in history and will save the government $28bn annually.” They added that about 275,000 employees are expected to leave through various programs like early retirement and voluntary separation. However, many federal workers feel scared and pressured. Thousands more have been fired under the administration’s forced cutbacks. Some workers who accepted the deferred resignation asked to remain anonymous, worried about future jobs or chances to return. One veteran at the Federal Emergency Management Agency said, “Federal workers stay for the mission. When that mission is taken away, when they're scapegoated, when their job security is uncertain, and when their tiny semblance of work-life balance is stripped away, they leave.” That’s exactly why they quit. The departing workers are jumping into a tough job market. The US unemployment rate hit 4.3% in August 2025—the highest since 2021—with job growth of just 22,000 amid economic uncertainty, partly blamed on Trump’s tariffs. At the Department of Veterans Affairs, an employee described quitting as “a huge grieving process,” wishing to finish their career but pushed out by circumstances. They said finding new work is hard: “The job market stinks right now.” A Department of Agriculture archaeologist, who is also a military veteran, said the decision was forced by fear and intimidation. They quoted Russell Vought, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget head, saying last October, “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.” The USDA employee added, “I was scared to go to work. Scared that the next day would be the day I would get fired.” Unions are fighting back legally. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and others sued over the deferred resignation program. AFGE president Everett Kelley warned, “Purging the federal government of dedicated career federal employees will have vast, unintended consequences that will cause chaos for the Americans who depend on a functioning federal government.” Kelley called the program far from voluntary and criticized the Trump administration’s anti-worker policies for creating a toxic work environment. With a potential government shutdown looming and thousands losing jobs, federal workers face a grim future. Will the government’s biggest job cuts since WWII save money — or hurt the very services Americans rely on?

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Tags: Federal workers, Deferred resignation, Trump administration, Government shutdown, Job cuts, Federal employment,