Donald Trump’s executive order to produce ‘large-scale reductions’ in the federal workforce may lead the DOGE directly to agencies that swelled under Joe Biden.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal workforce grew by 4.8 percent in the first three years of the previous presidential administration.
During Trump’s first term that rate was just 2.6 percent.
The executive order Trump signed Tuesday plainly states ‘there are too many federal employees’ and ‘Trump is committed to reducing the size and scope of the federal government.’
The administration is already working on this, too, starting several initiatives to push out some of the 2.2 million civilian employees from under the federal umbrella.
On the president’s first day in office, for example, he enacted a sweeping federal hiring freeze with few exceptions, effectively halting the growth of the government.
And thanks to Elon Musk’s DOGE and its government-trimming lieutenants, employees of the over 430 federal agencies are now getting additional performance reviews, which could set the stage for more feds getting dismissed.
Next the Trump administration will likely look at the 10 government agencies that grew disproportionately under Biden.
DOGE leader Elon Musk and Donald Trump have been examining how they can dramatically cut the federal workforce
The federal workforce grew nearly five percent under Joe Biden’s first three years
The State Department
The State Department grew its workforce by 19 percent under Biden, according to federal data, making it the agency which grew most under the previous administration.
USAID
The agency with the second most growth under Biden is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It grew its workforce over 17 percent under the Democrat.
DOGE has been targeting both of these agencies right out of the gate after it was uncovered they sponsored some of the most woke diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives anywhere in the government.
Funding for transgender operas and drag shows in Latin America sponsored by the State Department have been canceled, and so have USAID’s contracts to expand LGBT initiatives in Serbia and beyond.
Department of Energy
The Departments of Energy and also expanded rapidly under Biden.
Energy saw its workforce increase nearly 17 percent during Biden’s first three years.
Though DOGE is already whittling that agency down, as 2,000 employees were reportedly laid off there Friday.
Federal workers have been protesting DOGE for trying to shrink the government
Demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside of the Department of Health and Human Services, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Washington
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Department Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also grew significantly under Biden.
HUD, meanwhile, grew by almost 13 percent, though it is also in the midst of being DOGE’d.
‘I’m happy to announce the DOGE task force here at HUD,’ HUD Sec. Scott Turner said in a video posted to X this week. ‘We will be very detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent in serving tribal, rural and urban communities across America.’
Securities and Exchange Commission
Next up are the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and General Services Administration (GSA).
Under Biden, the SEC grew its workforce by 12 percent.
Reports have indicated that SEC employees are cautiously waiting to see whether or not DOGE-related job cuts will shake up their offices.
Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA grew just over 11 percent under Biden, but those hires are presumably already being reversed.
reports have surfaced that over 1,000 ‘probationary’ employees were notified they could be terminated while over 150 staff working on environmental justice have already been put on leave.
General Services Administration
The GSA also grew by just over 11 percent under the previous Democratic administration.
Employees there have already aired their fears that their jobs could be terminated after DOGE workers cam in to interview them.
Workers for various agencies have been holding rallies outside of their workplaces to push back on Trump’s policies aimed at shrinking their departments
Department of Agriculture
The Department of Agriculture’s workforce grew by 10 percent under Biden, but under Trump’s first term it was slashed by four percent.
Department of Labor
The Department of Labor’s workforce was reduced by close to 12 percent under Trump, though it grew almost seven percent under Biden. This agency could again see steep cuts under Trump’s leadership.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
The FDIC, which grew just four percent under Biden, could be folded into another agency, reports suggest.
Trump’s team is still mulling whether to roll the FDIC into the Treasury Department.
Finally the Education Department, which grew four percent under Biden, could be abolished entirely by Trump’s administration.
‘I’d like it to be closed immediately,’ Trump told reporters of the department, adding it’s ‘a big con job.’