As a partial government shutdown approaches, over 100,000 federal employees are expected to formally resign.
The federal government will enter a partial shutdown if a deal is not reached by midnight on Tuesday.
According to the New York Post, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo to federal agencies to cut employees in “non-essential roles” during a partial shutdown.
“It has never been more important for the Administration to be prepared for a shutdown if the Democrats choose to pursue one,” OMB Director Russ Vought said in the memo, according to the outlet.
MASSIVE: Over 100,000 federal employees are reportedly set to resign tomorrow in the largest mass resignation in U.S. history under President Trump’s plan to cut the federal workforce. pic.twitter.com/jXDmUAddOk
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 29, 2025
More from the New York Post:
An administration official told The Post agencies will submit their plans to OMB for approval, and that the staff reductions wouldn’t take effect for 60 days — likely long after any shutdown ends.
The longest federal shutdown lasted 35 days in December 2018 and January 2019 over Trump’s demands for border wall funds and ended when the 45th president declared a national emergency to redirect defense spending.
The memo highlights how the Trump administration is eager to make a partial government shutdown as politically painful for Democrats as possible.
Democratic leaders have been trying to leverage the government shutdown fight to extract key concessions from President Trump on healthcare policy and called the memo an attempt at “intimidation.”
The Guardian reports that the resignation program will cost $14.8 billion, with 200,000 workers paid their full salary and benefits while on administrative leave.
However, Trump administration officials said the program would lower long-term spending by the federal government.
Reuters provided coverage on the impact of a partial government shutdown:
Here's a look at how a wide range of US government services could be disrupted if Republicans and Democrats in Congress cannot agree on a funding deal to avoid a partial government shutdown https://t.co/L4AfGSwK5K pic.twitter.com/iJqVum7pjO
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 29, 2025
The Guardian shared further details:
A spokesperson for the White House claimed there was “no additional cost to the government” as employees would have received their salaries regardless of the program. “In fact, this is the largest and most effective workforce reduction plan in history and will save the government $28bn annually,” they added.
ADVERTISEMENTThe total number of expected departures through the delayed resignation and voluntary separation programs, attrition, and early retirement programs is about 275,000 employees, the spokesman said.
Several thousands of additional federal workers have been fired as part of reduction in force mandates ordered by the administration. The mass exodus is the largest single-year decline in civilian federal employment since the second world war.
Federal employees who took the deferred resignation offer requested to speak anonymously in hopes of returning to the federal government in the future and to protect future job prospects.
