A new Pew Research report published in March found that the federal workforce declined by 10.3% in 2025. In total, 348,219 employees left federal service through resignation, retirement, or layoffs, representing an 80.8% increase from 2024.
Meanwhile, only 116,912 people joined the federal government, a 55.6% decrease from the previous year.
The steepest job cuts occurred at the Department of Education, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities, the Small Business Administration, and the National Science Foundation.
The largest reductions were in information and arts, accounting and budget, general administration, clerical and office, business and industry, and human resources management.
On March 30, 2026, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), in partnership with the White House, launched the Early Career Talent Network to connect emerging professionals with full-time federal career opportunities.
The network, available at EarlyCareers.gov, aims to build a stronger pipeline of talent for critical roles in finance, human resources, engineering, project management, and procurement.
This initiative supports broader efforts to modernize federal hiring and develop the next generation of public servants.
The Early Career Talent Network offers opportunities to explore internships, contracting, project management, technology, finance, and human resources positions. Live and virtual sessions with federal recruiters are also available.
According to OPM Director Scott Kupor's blog post in "Secrets of OPM," only about 7% of the federal workforce is under 30, compared to 22% in the non-government workforce.
Kupor added that the new network builds on the recently launched Tech Force Program, which creates permanent government opportunities across a wider range of job skills.
The U.S. Tech Force is recruiting engineers to address complex civic and defense challenges, from managing financial infrastructure at the Treasury Department to advancing programs at the Department of Defense.
Participants in the two-year program work in teams reporting directly to agency leadership.
In collaboration with leading technology companies, they receive technical training, engage with industry leaders, and work closely with senior managers from partner organizations. Upon completing the program, engineers may pursue full-time roles with these private-sector partners.
According to the Federal Bank of New York, 2024 labor outcomes for college graduates by major were as follows: aerospace engineering had a 2% unemployment rate and 38.1% underemployment; chemical engineering, 4.7% unemployment and 17.9% underemployment; civil engineering, 2.3% unemployment and 15.6% underemployment; computer engineering, 7% unemployment and 15.8% underemployment; computer science, 7% unemployment and 19.1% underemployment; electrical engineering, 3.2% unemployment and 21.1% underemployment; engineering technologies, 1.7% unemployment and 44.4% underemployment; general engineering, 4.5% unemployment and 31.1% underemployment; industrial engineering, 4.2% unemployment and 31.7% underemployment; and mechanical engineering, 4.4% unemployment and 20.1% underemployment.