20,000 US Federal Employees Retire Amid Trump Restructuring... "More to Come"

According to Bloomberg News on the 4th (local time), more than 20,000 federal employees have signed voluntary retirement plans under the Trump administration's federal government restructuring plan.

Earlier, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) accepted voluntary retirement applications from federal employees under the condition that they would be immediately excluded from work but would maintain their salary and various benefits until September 30. The deadline is June 6, and employees who agree to resign are exempt from office return orders, transfers to other departments, or reduction targets during this period.

President Trump and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are pushing for a plan to reduce federal employees by 5 to 10%.

According to sources familiar with the data, the number of federal employees signing voluntary retirement is increasing daily, and the Trump administration expects a surge in retirement applicants as the deadline approaches.

Bloomberg forecasted that it would be difficult for the Trump administration to achieve its goal of reducing federal employees by 5 to 10%. It also estimated that many of the 20,000 who signed the retirement plan were people who had planned to retire in the coming months. According to OPM, an average of 62,000 federal employees retired annually over the past 10 years.

However, an official mentioned that since the launch of the second Trump administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which handles foreign aid, has been significantly downsized as an agency under the State Department, saying, "We expect more people to apply (for voluntary retirement) in the future," and added, "Looking at what is happening at USAID, this is just one piece of the puzzle." The official also said that apart from voluntary retirement, the federal government is trying to freeze new federal employee hiring.

The U.S. online media Axios reported, citing an OPM official, that the retirement plan had been reviewed even before President Trump's inauguration and that lawyers had completed their review. However, when asked whether CEO Musk was involved, the official did not respond.

According to Bloomberg, federal employees who agree to voluntary retirement can choose other jobs as long as they do not conflict with federal employment contracts. They must also agree to permanently waive all judicial and administrative actions against the government agency where they worked.

Federal employee unions are urging rejection of the retirement plan. They argue that the proposal itself is illegal, there is no substantial guarantee of salary payment until the end of September, and congressional approval is required. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) criticized, "This program is designed to entice or intimidate employees into resigning." The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) pointed out, "It creates a toxic environment where federal workers cannot stay even if they want to."

Charles Ezel, Acting Director of OPM, stated, "All signed retirement agreements are binding on the government," and "If the government reneges on its promises, federal employees have the right to request withdrawal of their resignation."

MacLorin Pinover, OPM spokesperson, said, "Unions and politicians telling federal employees to reject this offer are causing serious harm to them," and added, "This is a thoroughly reviewed and deliberately designed opportunity for employees to receive support through restructuring."

Meanwhile, on the same day, President Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House Oval Office, responded "I think so" when asked whether USAID would be gradually abolished. He also said, "I want to be able to close the Department of Education through an executive order." Additionally, President Trump praised Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency responsible for USAID downsizing and State Department integration, saying, "He is doing a great job. Look at all the fraud he found at USAID."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.