“Disappointing” Doge: Federal workforce shrinks by just 1% shows the establishment of bureaucracy, experts say

Data showing federal workforce has shrunk by just 1% in the first few months of the president Donald Trump’s The second term shows the “disappointing effects of Doge” and the level of bureaucracy retention in America, experts told Fox News Digital.

Figures released by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) show that as of March 31, the United States employs 2,289,472 federal workers. This is down from 2,313,216 on September 30, 2024. The reduction in positions of over 23,000 reflects the administration’s initial efforts to streamline government and eliminate unnecessary Bureucracy.

“That’s until the end of March, so we expect these numbers to be high by the end of September this year, when many of the early retirement packages and acquisitions come into effect.”

“Regardless of what these numbers are, this isn’t enough people to finish. Federal workers are not reduced enough. And that’s an unfortunate effect. Doge We were unable to scale up the scale of the federal workforce decline,” he added.

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Trump signed an executive order in February, directing government efficiency (DOGE) to coordinate with federal agencies and implement massive cuts in federal staffing.

According to OPM, the order is reflected in new data, with an average of 23,000 new hires from agents between April 2024 and January 2025, falling to nearly 7,385 a month after a full employment freeze was implemented.

Peter Morishi, an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, told Fox News Digital, “Essentially, Elon Musk I poured some ice water into the ocean to combat the rising temperature. ”

“Unless you eliminate functions, it’s very difficult to get rid of people. “It’s very difficult to cut down the commercial sector unless you don’t want to collect numbers, for example.”

“It takes more than four years,” Morishi said. “Look at the problems they have with Medicare reform alone, how all the special benefits come to light. Over the years, federal bureaucracy has spread not only across Washington, but across the country.”

“And when you talk about cutting it, you’re talking about impacting the local economy, the benefits of lawmakers, etc.” he added.

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Doge did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

David Hebert, an economist at the American Institute of Economics, said the cuts reported by the OPM “is certainly the beginning.”

“The real challenge facing President Trump is the fact that the federal government is responsible for itself too much,” he added in a statement to Fox News Digital. “If the President and Congress are serious about streamlining government, they need to look beyond “waste, fraud, abuse” and to abandon the liability the federal government shouldn’t have in the first place. ”

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OPM said in October 2025 “hundreds of thousands of workers” would fall from the roll.

According to the OPM, tens of thousands of employees in the process of termination remain on government salaries due to court orders currently being challenged by the administration.

“The American people deserve a government that is lean, efficient and focuses on core priorities,” OPM Director Charles Ezell said in a statement.

“This data marks the first measurable step towards President Trump’s vision for a disciplined, accountable federal workforce, and that’s just the beginning.”

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Trump’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce face harsh resistance from Democrats and various courts, with opponents saying the administration is cutting back on key jobs.

Andrew Mark Miller of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.