Analysis shows agencies filled 20,600 deferred-resignation slots, OPM disputes findings

An August analysis by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service indicates that federal agencies have hired roughly 20,600 employees into the same subcomponents and occupational series as workers who exited under the deferred resignation program (DRP). The data, covering up to June 2026, suggest that many of those who “paid to resign” were replaced within months, often at more junior levels; for instance, 155 staff in the consumer-safety inspection series left and were subsequently filled by an equal number of new hires.

Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor disputed the study’s classification of backfills, arguing the job categories used are too broad and that only about 15% of DRP separations were truly replaced, leaving 85% of the reductions intact. The partnership also reported that the average General Schedule grade of new hires was about 1.4 grades lower than the departing employees, with the FBI’s criminal-investigation series seeing an average drop of 3.1 grades.

Kupor stressed the need to develop early-career talent despite the backfill issue. Recent watchdog criticism has targeted agencies like FEMA, the IRS and the General Services Administration for cutting staff without evaluating public-service consequences.