Federal HR office lost more than a third of its workforce during Trump’s second term, GAO reports

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Dive Brief

The watchdog said the losses hampered “operational capacity” at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and “risk worsening pre-existing skills gaps.”

Published July 22, 2026

Protesters rally outside of the headquarters of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Of those who left OPM between Dec. 31, 2024, and March 31, 2026, 59% did so through the government’s deferred resignation program and 10% through a reduction in force, per the report.