New data from the Government Accountability Office reveals that probationary workers were let go at a disproportionately higher rate than the broader federal workforce during last year’s large-scale government layoffs.
According to GAO’s analysis of several agencies, probationary staff left their positions at an average rate of 19% throughout 2025, while the overall federal employee separation rate stood at roughly 15%.
These patterns in staff departures are raising questions about the future of federal recruitment. In the wake of the downsizing, numerous agencies have begun ramping up hiring in recent months, with the Office of Personnel Management making particular efforts to bring in early-career professionals.
“What’s notable here is that OPM rolled out a program just three months ago aimed at bolstering the pipeline of emerging talent entering government service,” said Dawn Locke, GAO’s director of strategic issues, in an interview with Federal News Network. “Yet prior to that, executive orders and OPM policies led to the departure of more than 50,000 individuals early in their careers. The logic behind these contradictory moves is somewhat hard to follow.”
In 2025, the Trump administration ordered agencies to slash their workforces and imposed broad hiring freezes, resulting in staffing drops across nearly all major federal departments.
As part of these cutbacks, thousands of probationary federal workers were terminated government-wide. A federal judge subsequently determined that OPM had illegally instructed agencies to conduct mass firings of probationary employees.
GAO’s findings showed that the staffing cuts hit some agencies harder than others. Among departments with health- and safety-related missions, the Agriculture and Interior Departments experienced the steepest losses, each seeing roughly 30% reductions in staff. Meanwhile, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs saw some of the smallest drops, with around 11% of employees departing from each agency.
Most, though not all, agencies saw sharper declines among their probationary workers. For example, nearly 42% of the USDA’s probationary staff left in 2025, compared with about 30% of its other employees. At the Energy Department, 34% of probationary workers departed versus 19% of the total workforce.
In contrast, the Interior Department saw 22% of its probationary staff separate compared with 31% of all department employees. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recorded an 11% separation rate for probationary workers alongside a 17% rate for all employees.
GAO’s study also found that approximately 41,500 — or 78.6% — of probationary departures were “voluntary,” while around 9,400 — or 17.8% — stemmed from reductions-in-force or other termination actions. The remaining 3.6%, just under 1,900 cases, involved employees moving to another agency. GAO said these proportions mirrored separation patterns across the broader federal workforce.
The probationary period in government serves as a “trial run,” typically spanning one to two years, to evaluate whether new hires measure up to performance standards. These periods apply not only to many early-career employees but also to staff newly promoted into managerial or supervisory roles.
Traditionally, a probationary employee could only be dismissed for poor performance or misconduct. However, the Trump administration moved to overhaul the rules governing the federal probationary period.
In a final rule released earlier this year, OPM stated that agencies may now decide whether to retain probationary employees based on the agency’s needs and interests, its organizational objectives, and whether doing so would promote the “efficiency of the service,” in addition to performance and conduct. Probationary employees can now appeal their termination only if they believe it was motivated by partisan political reasons, marital status, or a failure by the agency to follow proper procedures.
“It fundamentally transformed the probationary landscape,” Locke said.
Geographically, the 2025 staff departures varied significantly by region. States such as Montana, Idaho, and Utah saw 31–40% of federal employees leave their positions in 2025 across selected agencies. Meanwhile, several southern states, including Texas and Florida, experienced somewhat lower federal employee separation rates of roughly 15–20%, GAO reported.
“It was no surprise that a significant number of probationary workers would be separated in Maryland and D.C., where many federal agencies are headquartered,” Locke said. “What caught us off guard was the volume of departures in places like Maine or Alaska.”
For decades, agencies have grappled with critical skills shortages — situations where they lack sufficient personnel or the right expertise to effectively carry out their missions. These workforce skills gaps have been on GAO’s High Risk List since 2001.
Following the substantial federal workforce cuts, Locke said the effect on agencies’ capabilities and their ability to fulfill their missions remains “an open question.”
“It’s difficult to believe that these reductions haven’t worsened the skills gap issue,” Locke said. “However, without the reduction-in-force or reorganization plans that agencies are supposed to have by now, we haven’t been able to fully assess the impact or what all of this means for meeting mission needs — which ultimately means meeting the needs of the American people.”
To reach this reporter regarding recent developments in the federal government, please email drew.friedman@federalnewsnetwork.com or contact them on Signal at drewfriedman.11
Copyright
© 2026 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
