'Disappointing' DOGE: Federal workforce shrinking by just 1% shows bureaucracy's entrenchment, experts say

Material indicating the federal workforce shrank by just over the first scant months of President Donald Trump s second term shows a disappointing effect of DOGE and the level of bureaucracy s entrenchment in America experts advised Fox News Digital Figures circulated by the U S Office of Personnel Management OPM show that the United States employs federal workers as of March which is down from on September The reduction of more than positions reflects the administration s early efforts to streamline administration and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy OPM noted in a press release That's just through the end of March So I suspect those numbers will be higher by the end of September this year which is when a lot of the early retirement packages and buyouts go into effect Alex Nowrasteh the Cato Institute s vice president for economic and social guidelines studies notified Fox News Digital Regardless of what those numbers are this is not enough people having been terminated It is not enough shrinkage in the federal workforce And it is a disappointing effect of DOGE that it wasn't able to increase the size of the decrease in the federal workforce he added ONLY THE BEGINNING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RELEASES STATISTICS SHOWING FEDERAL WORKFORCE SLASHED SINCE JANUARYTrump signed an executive order in February instructing the Department of Establishment Efficiency DOGE to coordinate with federal agencies and execute massive cuts in federal leadership staffing numbers That order is reflected in the new material OPM explained showing that agencies averaged new monthly hires from April to January but dropped by nearly to just per month once the hiring freeze was fully implemented Peter Morici an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland informed Fox News Digital that Basically Elon Musk poured a scarce teacups of ice water into the ocean to combat its rising temperature It's very hard to get rid of people unless you get rid of functions See he was able to decimate USAID because he took away all their money Morici stated It's very very hard to cut down the Commerce Department unless you for example don't want the numbers collected It takes more than four years Morici also mentioned Look at the problems they're having just with Medicare amendment how all the special interests come out Over the years the federal bureaucracy is not just in Washington but it's been spread throughout the country And as you talk about cutting it down you're talking about affecting local economies the interests of congressmen and so forth he added ELON MUSK'S FORMER FRIEND WARNS EX-DOGE HEAD WILL DO EVERYTHING TO DAMAGE TRUMPDOGE did not right now respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital David Hebert an economist with the American Institute for Economic Research declared the reduction released by OPM is certainly a start The real challenge that President Trump is facing is the fact that the federal regime has taken upon itself far too plenty of responsibilities he added in a report to Fox News Digital If the President and Congress are serious about streamlining ruling body they need to move beyond waste fraud and abuse and look to shedding responsibilities that the federal administration ought not have in the first place INTERIOR CANCELS MILLION ANNUAL FISHING GRANT CITED IN FOX ASSESSMENT AFTER DOGE HIGHLIGHTS DISNEY ADS SALARIESOPM reported hundreds of thousands more workers will drop from the rolls in October when more workers depart via the Deferred Resignation Initiative that was offered to employees in an effort to trim the workforce Tens of thousands of employees who are in the process of being terminated remain on the regime payroll due to court orders that are currently being challenged by the administration according to OPM The American people deserve a leadership that is lean efficient and focused on core priorities Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell revealed in a comment This content marks the first measurable step toward President Trump s vision of a disciplined accountable federal workforce and it s only the beginning Trump's effort to shrink the federal workforce has faced stiff resistance from Democrats and various courts with opponents saying that the administration is cutting critical jobs Fox News Digital s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this assessment