More than 15,000 employees at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have accepted a voluntary resignation offer from the Trump administration as part of its efforts to downsize and restructure the department.
15,182 USDA employees have “voluntarily elected deferred resignation,” the USDA has confirmed. The initial wave in January saw 3,877 workers accept the offer, followed by a second wave involving another 11,305. The program allows participants to resign now while continuing to receive pay through September. The resignations account for approximately 15 percent of the department’s total workforce.
“As part of this reorientation, the Deferred Retirement Program (DRP), a completely voluntary tool, was used to empower employees to decide what is best for them,” a USDA spokesperson told the Daily Caller.
The spokesperson also accused the previous administration of leaving the USDA in “disarray.”
“President Biden and [former] Secretary [Tom] Vilsack left USDA in complete disarray, including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them,” the spokesperson continued. “Secretary [Brooke] Rollins is working to reorient the department to be more effective and efficient at serving the American people, including by prioritizing farmers, ranchers, and producers. She will not compromise the critical work of the Department.”
According to a Politico report, the US Forest Service has seen the largest number of resignations, with over 4,000 employees departing under the program. The Food Safety and Inspection Service, which played a role in managing the bird flu outbreak under the Biden administration, also lost 555 employees.
