Pentagon Workforce Cuts Under Trump Administration Lacked Comprehensive Impact Assessment, Watchdog Reports
The Pentagon, under the Trump administration, implemented significant reductions in its civilian workforce, cutting over 78,000 employees, which equates to about 10% of its workforce. This move was part of a broader initiative to reduce the federal workforce. However, a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicates that the Department of Defense (DoD) did not fully assess the impacts of these reductions. The cuts included layoffs, resignations, and a hiring freeze, which resulted in the DoD hiring approximately 60,000 fewer new employees than in previous years. The GAO report highlights that while some benefits were realized, such as automated workflows and cost savings, the reductions also led to increased workloads for remaining employees and a loss of institutional knowledge. The report also notes that the DoD lacks a plan to evaluate the lessons learned from these workforce reductions. 
