Trump Administration Cuts Federal Workforce to Smallest Level Since 1966

The administration of Donald Trump has reduced the United States federal workforce to its smallest size since 1966. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Pew Research Center indicate that more than 352,000 employees have been fired, resigned, or retired without replacement since Trump took office. Pew Research reported that departures increased by 80.8% in 2025 compared to 2024, while new hires dropped by 55.6%.

These reductions targeted the Department of Education and the United States Agency for International Development, the latter of which has since shut down. Other agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs, are experiencing service degradation. The restructuring effort combined these cuts with the reinstatement of merit-based hiring and the Supreme Court of the United States' removal of the Chevron doctrine to limit agency deference.

Simultaneously, the administration attempted to establish a 100% American agricultural workforce. However, the American Farm Bureau Federation found that U.S. workers applied for only 182 of 415,000 available farm jobs last fiscal year. The United States Department of Labor warned that restricting foreign guest workers via the H-2A program could disrupt the food supply, as wage increases have failed to attract domestic labor.