According to a report from Politico, over 15,000 employees at the USDA have taken the Trump administration’s offer to resign amid departmental cuts.
Initially, in January, 3,877 employees opted for this option during the first resignation program. In the following wave, an additional 11,305 employees signed on. It’s likely that more resignations will follow.
These USDA offers allow employees to leave and receive payment until September. This wave of resignations accounts for about 15% of the workforce, as noted by the outlet.
The USDA manages various aspects like food safety, farm loans, rural broadband programs, and federal nutrition initiatives.
Seth Christensen, a spokesperson for the USDA, confirmed the resignation figures with Politico. (Related: HHS employees reportedly received a $25,000 buyout to leave their positions).
More than 15,000 USDA employees have received offers to resign from Trump https://t.co/f7op8bdpag
– Politico (@politico) May 3, 2025
Christensen commented on the situation, saying, “With President Biden and former Secretary Tom Vilsack leaving the USDA in total disarray, the department has hired numerous employees without a clear funding strategy.” He added that Brooke Rollins is working on enhancing efficiency within the sector to better serve Americans, prioritizing the needs of farmers, ranchers, and producers without compromising critical departmental functions.
According to Politico, the US Forest Service is facing the highest number of resignations, with over 4,000 employees leaving due to budget cuts under the Trump administration.
The Food Safety Inspection Service, which dealt with a bird flu outbreak and meat testing, lost 555 employees through the resignation program. Additionally, more than 2,400 employees resigned from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which supports farmers in managing livestock and soil. Roughly 1,000 from the Farm Service Agency and county offices have also decided to exit.
