100,000 federal employees to hand in their formal resignations today

Roughly 100,000 federal employees are set to formally resign from the U.S. government, marking what will be the largest mass departure of government workers in American history.

The resignations, part of a program introduced by President Donald Trump at the outset of his second term, are scheduled to take place Tuesday—the same day Congress faces a deadline to approve additional funding or risk a government shutdown.

If lawmakers fail to reach a deal, the White House has directed federal agencies to prepare for sweeping redundancies.

Newsweek reached out to the Office of Personnel Management by email outside regular business hours for comment.

Why It Matters
The departure of such a large number of federal workers will significantly disrupt operations across government, with potential impacts on services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. The influx of unemployed adults could also weigh on the economy, as tens of thousands of job seekers turn to the private sector at once.

What To Know
Since taking office, the Trump administration has prioritized reducing federal bureaucracy and streamlining services. To this end, Trump created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), initially led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk until his departure from the administration in May after policy disagreements.

Other measures have included hiring freezes and large-scale layoffs. In February, the administration offered federal employees a choice: accept a resignation package—including salary payments through the end of September—or risk termination in future rounds of cuts.

The 100,000 planned resignations fall under this initiative, known as the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP). A Senate Democratic report in July estimated the program would cost $14.8 billion, as 200,000 workers will continue to receive full salary and benefits while on administrative leave for as long as eight months.