In the initial six months of Trump’s administration, 154,000 federal workers enrolled in the deferred resignation program, as reported by Reuters reported, while over 70,000 employees retired. Both figures marked significant increases (in the tens of thousands) compared to attrition in previous years, according to Kamarck’s report.
“Many individuals stated, ‘to hell with this’ and departed,” Kamarck informed Ars.
Kamarck mentioned to Ars that her report indicates that DOGE “removed muscle rather than fat,” because “they were unclear about their objectives.”
Consequently, agencies are currently rushing to evaluate the repercussions and recruit the lost talent. Nevertheless, her report highlighted that agencies supportive of Trump’s agenda seemingly face fewer obstacles in obtaining approval for new hires, despite Kupor indicating to Reuters that the hiring freeze across the government is “over.” By mid-November 2025, “of the more than 73,000 jobs posted, only about 14,400 had a candidate selected,” Kamarck noted, pointing out that it was impossible to verify how many selected candidates had officially commenced their employment.
“Agencies are required to conduct numerous reassessments regarding what transpired,” Kamarck remarked to Ars, concluding that DOGE “was essentially a catastrophe.”
A decentralized DOGE might hold greater power
“DOGE is not finished,” Kamarck remarked, emphasizing that “the cutting initiative is undoubtedly” ongoing under the Office of Management and Budget, which “possesses significantly more authority than DOGE ever did.”
However, the dissolution of DOGE signifies that “its operational methods are no longer in effect,” which will likely be a relief to federal employees who anticipated DOGE would persist in reducing agencies through at least July 2026, if not longer.
Many federal employees continue to challenge terminations, as legal battles prolong, and even Kamarck has ceased tracking due to the inconsistencies in outcomes.
