Trump administration cuts 50,000 federal jobs and $2 billion in salaries in first year

According to a report released by the taxpayer watchdog OpenTheBooks, the Trump administration oversaw the departure of roughly 50,000 federal employees and a $1.86 billion cut to payroll in its first year. Federal headcount dropped from 1,506,603 to 1,452,891, a decline of 53,712 positions relative to the prior administration, while salary outlays fell by nearly $2 billion. The analysis notes that 94 agencies reduced staff, with the Department of Veterans Affairs shedding 21,428 workers, the Department of Health and Human Services cutting 13,580, and the Department of Education losing about 36% of its workforce.

Conversely, the Department of Homeland Security added 8,043 employees to support immigration and border initiatives, and the Interior and Transportation departments each hired several thousand. The report does not count employees of the Department of War or the U.S. Postal Service, which together employ over three million people. OPM Director Scott Kupor previously estimated that 249,000 federal workers left government service, most voluntarily, with around 17,000 dismissed through reductions in force.