On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring all federal employees to return to in-person work. Shortly after, the administration introduced a “deferred resignation” offer, which could serve as a buyout for those who either do not wish to return to the office or are simply ready to resign.
Federal employees were sent an email with the offer, giving them the chance to resign by February 6. The resignations would take effect on September 30, ensuring the employees receive their full pay until that date. However, the legality of the offer has raised concerns, with some Democratic senators arguing that Trump lacks the authority or the funding to carry out such a program.
The offer applies to all full-time federal workers, except for military personnel, U.S. Postal Service employees, and individuals working in national security or immigration enforcement.
On Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo that reiterated the offer and provided an alternative method for employees to resign in case they had not responded to the initial email.
The White House forecasts that up to 10% of the federal workforce may accept the buyout, potentially resulting in a payroll savings of about $100 billion, according to reports.
But just how many federal employees are there, and where are they based?
Here’s a breakdown of the federal workforce:
How Many Federal Workers Are There?
There are more than 2 million federal civilian employees, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. This figure excludes federal contractors and military personnel.
The Department of Veterans Affairs employs the largest number of these workers, with about 486,500 employees, according to the most recent data from the Office of Personnel Management.
Where Do Federal Workers Live?
As of March 2024, Washington, D.C., had the highest concentration of federal civilian employees, with over 162,000 workers, as reported by the Congressional Research Service. California ranks second, with nearly 147,500 federal employees. Virginia and Maryland, neighboring states to the nation’s capital, follow closely, with around 144,500 and 143,000 federal workers, respectively. Texas is the only other state with more than 100,000 federal employees, housing nearly 130,000 federal workers.
How Many Federal Workers Work From Home?
By May 2024, approximately 1.1 million federal civilian employees, or about 46% of the federal workforce, were eligible to work remotely, according to a report from the Office of Management and Budget. Of these, 228,000 workers, or about 10% of the federal civilian workforce, were in fully remote positions.
Those who were eligible to telework, but not in remote roles, spent an average of 39% of their time working remotely.
The report also detailed the number of telework-eligible employees and remote workers across 24 federal agencies. The Department of Defense had the largest number of telework-eligible employees, at over 241,000, along with the highest number of remote workers, approximately 62,000. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Homeland Security followed, with 128,000 and 119,000 eligible employees, respectively.
Our DC employment lawyers know that millions of federal workers are in for significant changes as the Trump administration takes charge and rolls out new executive orders and policies, and we are here to help.