How many federal employees have lost their job since the start of the second Trump administration?

Starters

Mar 26

Trends in the size of the federal bureucracy

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

In 1789, the first United States federal government employed approximately 300 individuals. This original bureaucracy was composed of only three small executive departments: State, Treasury, and War.When data tracking began in 1939, the federal workforce was less than one million. Based on the visual above, as of 2025 what was the total number of federal jobs?
According to the visual above, approximately how many federal jobs were lost in 2024 and 2025.
Based on the visual above, what year had the peak number of federal government employees?
Based on the visual above, describe the trend in the number of federal government employees over time.
What is your best explanation for those changes?
What type of government workers are not shown in the visual above (hint: federalism)?
If Roger the GoPup worked for the federal government he would most likely be a drug sniffer dog for the Drug Enforcement Agency, a baggage sniffer for T.S.A., or a lawyer in the department of Homeland Security. According to the visual below* what agency lost the most workers in 2024-2025?
The federal workforce shrank by 10.3% in 2025, or a net of nearly 238,000 workers, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of recently published government data. Federal workers perform critical roles in national security, healthcare, public safety, and infrastructure. Key examples include Veterans Affairs nurses, TSA officers, federal firefighters, CDC scientists, food inspectors, postal workers, wildlife biologists, and IRS agents. These employees secure national borders, manage public lands, and deliver essential services like Social Security. Notable losses in specific occupations included:
- Medical workers, including nurses (-4,038), medical officers (-2,318) and practical nurses (-1,046)
- Tax professionals,including internal revenue agents (-3,141), internal revenue officers (-1,030) and tax examiners (-4,309)
- Information technology managers (-13,986)
- General attorneys (-6,608)
- Contact representatives, who explain policies and provide benefit administration to the general public (-6,629)
  What happens to the health and safety of Americans when so many federal jobs are slashed?
Based on your knowledge of American liberal and conservative ideology, make a claim about which ideology would prefer to cut the number of federal employees.
The federal government's Office of Personnel Management tracks the number of people who work for the government. The Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s human resources department, no longer publishes data on the gender, race, ethnicity or disability status of federal workers. Why do you think that is and what is one consequence of this change.

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

The next time you see a federal employee, thank them for their service. Federal employees most frequently seen by the public are those providing direct services, security, or safety, primarily within the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Homeland Security (TSA/CBP), and the Postal Service. . Examples include park rangers, TSA agents, mail carriers, food inspectors, and Veterans Affairs nurses. Thank them!

Get Creative

In 1789, the first United States federal government employed approximately 300 individuals. This original bureaucracy was composed of only three small executive departments: State, Treasury, and War.When data tracking began in 1939, the federal workforce was less than one million. Today there are over 2 million federal workers. Think about all the ways life has changed since 1789 and identify seven ways life has most dramatically changed.