Federal government employment continues to decline
Federal government employment numbers continue to drop. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal sector lost another 9,000 jobs in April. This downward trend remains steady, with the sector seeing a decline of 11.5 percent since reaching a peak in October 2024. This equates to a total loss of 348,000 positions during that period. While specific agencies continue to hire, the overall landscape shows a persistent contraction in the federal workforce.
Beyond these employment shifts, other administrative challenges are mounting. The governmentwide Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) backlog reached 339,000 cases at the end of the last fiscal year. Despite agencies processing a record 1.6 million cases, the volume of new incoming requests continues to outpace the government's ability to close them, setting a new record of 1.7 million new requests in 2025. This backlog has more than doubled over the last five years.
Operational adjustments are also underway across several agencies. The Defense Department has introduced a new playbook to rationalize its business systems, aiming to reduce IT duplication and improve cyber compliance. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory is undergoing a major reorganization to streamline its structure across seven new directorates, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency is moving forward with additional office closures as it shifts toward a hub-based service model. These changes reflect an ongoing push for efficiency across the federal government.