Since September 2024, the number of government civilian employees in the United States has been reduced by 12%.

Government data released on Wednesday in the United States showed that the size of the government civilian workforce decreased by 12% from September 2024 to January 2026. The layoffs affected various government departments, with the Department of Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services experiencing relatively larger reductions in personnel. The data indicated that during the same period, the Department of Treasury saw a 24% reduction in personnel, while the Department of Health, led by Kennedy, experienced a 20% decrease in staff. Trump pledged to significantly streamline the size of federal agencies when he took office, citing that these agencies were bloated and inefficient. The data suggests that he has fulfilled this promise. The exception was the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for immigration enforcement, which saw an increase in personnel of less than 1% during this period.