politics
Pentagon Reduced Civilian Workforce 10% in 2025, Saving Billions While GAO Cited Inconsistent Impact Analysis
The Defense Department reduced its civilian workforce by roughly 10 percent last year through layoffs, resignations and a hiring freeze. A new GAO report says the Pentagon did not consistently measure effects or prepare a plan to review lessons learned.
Jun 4, 4:58 AM·1m read1 source
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U.S. Department of Defense cut its civilian workforce by around 10 percent in 2025, eliminating over 78,000 positions through layoffs, resignations and a hiring freeze that prevented roughly 60,000 new hires, the Government Accountability Office reported last week. The reductions left the department with 684,000 civilian employees, more than 40 percent of whom are military veterans.
Twenty-eight Pentagon offices and programs now seek further workforce cuts, up from 10 in 2023, 11 in 2024 and 13 in 2025. Of 14 offices reviewed in depth by the GAO, 11 performed some analysis of the reductions' effects. Three offices—the Joint Staff, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Defense Contract Audit Agency—provided Congress no explanation of how or why the cuts would occur.
The GAO found that the Defense Department did not consistently analyze impacts in 2025 or prior years and lacks a plan to assess lessons learned. The GAO recommended such a plan; the Pentagon agreed but gave no timetable. Some offices reported gains.
The Defense Logistics Agency automated processes, cut manual tasks and estimated $12 million in salary savings. The Defense Information Systems Agency reorganized workplaces to increase efficiency. 8 billion in total savings from workforce reshaping.
Other effects proved more disruptive. U.S. Pacific Fleet lost 850 civilian workers. Navy shipyard maintenance was delayed. U.S. Space Force encountered readiness problems. The Defense Information Systems Agency lost substantial institutional knowledge after a roughly 10 percent reduction.
A March survey by the Partnership for Public Service recorded sharp drops in employee sentiment. The Navy and Marine Corps scored about 36 out of 100 in 2025, down from about 68 the previous year. Dan Grazier, senior fellow and director of the national security reform project at the Stimson Center, told Business Insider that shipyard delays and workforce losses at Pacific Fleet predate the 2025 cuts.
