WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order implementing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) workforce optimization initiative.
The Executive Order says, 'To make the federal workforce more efficient and effective,' agency heads will coordinate and consult with DOGE to shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions.
The Office of Personnel Management will initiate a rule-making to ensure federal employees are held to the highest standards of conduct.
The Order aims to significantly reduce the size of government.
President Trump, who has made reforming the federal workforce a key priority for his second term, had announced a hiring freeze on day 1 of his administration.
As part of implementing his hiring plan, agencies will be able to hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service, with exceptions to immigration, law enforcement, and public safety departments.
Agencies will undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren't required by law.
The Order exempts personnel and functions critical to national security, public safety, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement.
Excluding active-duty military and Postal Service employees, the federal workforce exceeds 2.4 million, working in more than 400 federal agencies, according to the White House.
The federal workforce contributes significantly to federal spending and debt. In fiscal year 2022, the federal government spent nearly $300 billion on compensation for civilian employees, excluding pensions.
According to a recent congressional report, only 6 percent of federal workers report to work in-person on a full-time basis.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
