The Trump administration is carrying out an aggressive plan to shrink the federal workforce at a pace not seen since the Clinton era—aiming to surpass even those historic reductions. Through mass layoffs, voluntary buyouts, and sweeping agency reorganizations, the administration is accelerating toward its goal of slashing trillions in government spending and dismantling entrenched bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Since returning to office, President Trump has launched a sweeping initiative to reduce the size of the federal workforce, with a particular focus on the executive branch. Leading the charge is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk. According to Just the News, the administration is on pace to reach nearly 76 percent of the federal job cuts made during President Bill Clinton’s tenure—accomplishing in months what took Clinton eight years. In the 1990s, Clinton presided over the elimination of roughly 426,200 federal positions, marking the largest government downsizing since World War II.
The Trump administration is carrying out an aggressive plan to shrink the federal workforce at a pace not seen since the Clinton era—aiming to surpass even those historic reductions. Through mass layoffs, voluntary buyouts, and sweeping agency reorganizations, the administration is accelerating toward its goal of slashing trillions in government spending and dismantling entrenched bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Since returning to office, President Trump has launched a sweeping initiative to reduce the size of the federal workforce, with a particular focus on the executive branch. Leading the charge is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk. According to Just the News, the administration is on pace to reach nearly 76 percent of the federal job cuts made during President Bill Clinton’s tenure—accomplishing in months what took Clinton eight years. In the 1990s, Clinton presided over the elimination of roughly 426,200 federal positions, marking the largest government downsizing since World War II.
Trump nearing Clinton’s record for largest cuts to federal workforce https://t.co/fOn2ev61QQ
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) April 3, 2025
A central tactic in the administration’s push to reduce the federal workforce has been the use of voluntary buyouts. As Resist the Mainstream previously reported, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) launched a wide-reaching buyout program early in President Trump’s second term, offering federal employees the option to resign while continuing to receive pay through September 30. To surpass Clinton’s record, the administration would need to cut at least 200,000 more jobs, according to Just the News. So far, between voluntary buyouts and forced layoffs, the Trump administration has already initiated or completed at least 325,000 workforce reductions.
To date, around 75,000 employees—roughly 3 percent of the federal civilian workforce—have accepted voluntary buyouts. However, the administration had initially targeted a buyout rate between 5 and 10 percent. To meet that goal, several agencies have launched a second wave of offers. Unlike the first round, which was coordinated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), this new phase is being handled directly by individual agencies.
The Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation are all participating, along with the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stressed that the administration’s primary goal is to encourage voluntary departures, but he acknowledged that widespread layoffs are ultimately unavoidable.
In the meantime, staff cuts are ramping up across numerous agencies. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has already cut 6,000 positions and is targeting a nearly 50 percent reduction of its remaining 90,000-person workforce. At USAID, staffing has dropped dramatically—from 10,000 employees to just a few hundred. The Department of Education, led by Secretary Linda McMahon, has seen its workforce slashed nearly in half—from 4,100 to 2,200 employees—as President Trump continues to publicly entertain the idea of eliminating the department altogether.
Further cuts are unfolding across the federal government. At the Department of Defense, 5,400 probationary employees were dismissed after being classified as “non-mission critical.” The Forest Service is preparing to lay off 3,400 workers in response to a directive from the Office of Personnel Management, while the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced a 10,000-person reduction as part of a sweeping agency restructuring.