Wait times at Social Security offices are spiking. Some days it feels like half of the agency staff in D.C. just vanished into thin air. Honestly, if you've tried to call a federal help line lately, you already know the vibe is different. The "chainsaw" we heard about on the campaign trail in 2024 finally hit the wood in 2025, and now in early 2026, the dust is settling on a much smaller, leaner, and frankly more chaotic government.
What federal jobs are being cut isn't just a theoretical debate for C-SPAN anymore. It’s a reality that has already pushed over 212,000 people out of their offices. That’s roughly 9% of the civilian workforce gone in a single year.
If you're looking for the short answer: it’s everyone from DEI consultants and foreign aid workers to IT specialists and USDA researchers. But the "how" is just as important as the "who." It wasn't just a mass firing; it was a mix of voluntary buyouts, mandatory return-to-office (RTO) orders that forced people to quit, and the literal deletion of entire agencies.
The Agencies Hitting the "Delete" Key
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) didn't just suggest tweaks. They went after the roots. The biggest casualty was the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It’s basically gone. The administration dismantled the agency entirely, terminating over 5,000 contracts and moving what was left of the skeleton crew into the State Department.
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But it’s not just the small agencies. The big players took massive hits:
- Department of Defense (DOD): They lost over 61,000 employees. This wasn't the front-line soldiers, obviously, but the civilian "back office" that manages the global supply chain, like the Defense Logistics Agency.
- Department of Education (ED): This one is being hollowed out. The goal is a 15% cut, with programs like Job Corps being targeted for total elimination. Student Aid staffing is being slashed by nearly half—going from over 1,500 people to just about 800.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Remember that big hiring surge for the IRS a few years back? That’s being rolled back. If you’re filing taxes this year, expect a lot of "please hold" music.
- Department of Agriculture (USDA): They’ve seen massive losses, particularly in rural development programs and broadband expansion.
The "Quiet" Cuts: RTO and Buyouts
Not everyone was handed a pink slip. A lot of people were just... encouraged to leave.
Early in 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent out what they called the Deferred Resignation Program. It was basically a "pay-to-quit" deal. If you agreed to leave, you got full pay and benefits through September 2025. Over 150,000 workers took the deal.
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Then came the RTO hammer. For years, about 10% of feds were fully remote and another 40% were teleworking. The new mandate required 5 days a week in the office. For a lot of people who had moved to cheaper states or built their lives around remote work, that was the end of the road. They quit. In the eyes of the current administration, that’s a "voluntary reduction in force." It’s a way to cut the workforce without the legal headaches of a formal layoff.
Who is Left Standing?
It’s not a total ghost town. There’s a specific "1 for 4" rule in place now. For every four people who leave an agency, they can only hire one new person. And that one person has to be "essential."
If you work in immigration enforcement, law enforcement, or national security, you're likely safe. Those are the "exempt" categories. But if your job title includes words like "Diversity," "Equity," "Inclusion," or "Sustainability," the target on your back is huge. The administration has been very clear about purging "DEI-adjacent" roles across every single department.
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Surprising Cuts You Might Not Know About
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) took a hit. So did the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)—they’ve lost about 24% of their staff since 2025. This wasn't just about saving money; it was a fundamental shift away from mRNA research and public health monitoring that the administration deemed "overreach."
What This Means for You Right Now
If you're a federal employee or looking to become one, the "old" way of doing things is dead. The "Schedule F" threat—turning career civil servants into "at-will" employees who can be fired for any reason—is the new reality for many.
Actionable Steps for Federal Workers
- Check Your "Essential" Status: If your role isn't explicitly tied to public safety or national security, start looking at your agency’s "efficiency plan" submitted to DOGE.
- Evaluate the Buyout: If there are remaining "voluntary separation incentive payments" (VSIP), take them. The hiring freeze and the 1-for-4 rule mean those who stay will be doing the work of three people.
- Watch the July 4, 2026 Deadline: This is the self-imposed "end date" for DOGE. Expect another massive wave of restructuring or agency consolidations as they try to hit their "perfect gift to America" goal for the 250th anniversary.
The federal workforce is smaller than it’s been in decades. Whether you think that's a "great American fair" or a "government in chaos," the fact remains: the bureaucracy isn't just being trimmed; it's being reshaped from the ground up.
Next Step: Review your agency's latest OPM guidance on RTO exemptions, as the moratorium on formal "Reductions in Force" (RIF) is set to expire on January 31, 2026.