Bureaucracy cutting by the numbers: President Donald Trump and chief government auditor Elon Musk have set out to cut large chunks of the federal civilian workforce. So how are they doing?
Well, so far approximately 280 workers in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles have been axed. Some 9,000 employees have been affected by the dismantling of their agencies. About 75,000 workers have voluntarily signed up for the federal worker buyouts offered—so about 3 percent of the civilian workforce—per a spokesman for the Office of Personnel Management.
The unions that represent federal workers have warned would-be quitters that the buyout offers might not be trustworthy and have also started filing lawsuits against the administration—somewhat odd behavior given that the buyouts provide pay through September and the alternative might just be getting axed altogether. (U.S. District Judge George O'Toole ruled yesterday that the unions did not have standing to bring the suit, so the buyouts resumed following the lifting of the pause.)
