The size of the federal workforce has dropped by over 270,000 employees since President Donald Trump took office, marking its lowest level in a decade.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Tuesday that the number of workers on the federal payroll shrank by 6,000 in November, on top of a 162,000 decline in October.
“Federal government employment is down by 271,000 since reaching a peak in January,” when Democrat Joe Biden was still president.
Biden presided over a nearly 6 percent increase in the size of the full-time federal workforce during his tenure, with the total cresting 3 million in September 2024 for the first time since 1990, according to USA Facts.
The current number of federal employees is 2.744 million, the lowest since late 2014.
Trump admin has reduced federal gov’t payrolls every month, now down to lowest since…
*checks notes*
…more than a decade ago! pic.twitter.com/izmLOOzJqX— E.J. Antoni, Ph.D. (@RealEJAntoni) December 16, 2025
The White House touted this achievement in a Tuesday blog post, stating, “Since September, the private sector has gained 121,000 jobs, while the federal government has shed 168,000 jobs as the Trump Administration shrinks the runaway federal bureaucracy.”
The economy added 64,000 jobs in November.
President Trump delivers again!
Thanks to the President’s America First policies, we added 64,000 new jobs in November and wages are up 3.5% year over year!
All we needed was a new President! 🇺🇸https://t.co/sHybJNAhkk
— Chairman Joe Gruters (@ChairmanGruters) December 16, 2025
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke of the strength of the economy on Tuesday, saying that 2025 has set the table for 2026.
“We had the longest government shutdown in history… We’re still going to finish the year, probably 3.5 percent GDP growth, which is incredible — with a shrinking budget deficit… So we have very good momentum coming into next year,” he told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo.
.@SecScottBessent: “We had the longest government shutdown in history… we’re still going to finish the year probably 3.5% GDP growth, which is incredible — WITH a shrinking budget deficit. We have very good momentum coming into next year.” pic.twitter.com/uWmorTtF4G
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 16, 2025
Bessent noted in a social media post on Monday, “The current calendar year-to-date deficit is $1.52 trillion, which compares to a deficit of $1.93 trillion for the comparable period last year under Biden, a 21% drop.”
“Not only is the deficit smaller under President Trump — the economy is also bigger. The full 2025 calendar year budget deficit to GDP may total only 5.5%, substantially lower than the unsustainably high 6.8% in calendar year 2024 under Biden,” he added.
Thanks to President Trump, the health of the U.S. government’s finances is improving.
The current calendar year-to-date deficit is $1.52 trillion, which compares to a deficit of $1.93 trillion for the comparable period last year under Biden, a 21% drop.
Not only is the deficit…
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) December 15, 2025
Bessent told Fox Business in November 2024, shortly after Trump’s election, that the administration intends to bring the deficit spending to GDP ratio back to 3 percent by the end of Trump’s second term.
A component of that will be reducing federal spending, which shrinking the federal workforce can help achieve.
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