Federal Managers Association

In the News

• OPM shrinks its workforce by a third, seeks further staffing cuts - July 21, 2026

• The agency is giving employees in its healthcare and insurance division another shot at opting into the deferred resignation program.

  Jory Heckman, Government Executive

  The federal government’s human resources office shed more than a third of its total workforce so far under the second Trump administration and is seeking further staffing cuts through another round of voluntary separation incentives.

  The Office of Personnel Management shrank its total headcount by 35% between December 2024 and March 2026, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. 

  In its analysis of federal workforce data, GAO found that more than half of OPM employees who left during this period had 11 or more years of service. 

  “These actions have reduced institutional knowledge and operational capacity at the agency,” GAO wrote, adding that these staffing cuts may worsen skills gaps it previously flagged at OPM. 

  To read the full article, click here.

##