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A year after the deferred resignation program, where did federal leavers go?

Of people who left 21 federal agencies in 2025, 4.9% now hold another federal executive branch job, against 19.4% of 2024 leavers.
Alex Hamilton
2 October 2026
With Aaron Terrazas
Now in another federal executive branch job: 19.4% of 2024 leavers, 4.9% of 2025 leavers.
Retired: up from 7.0% to 15.4%.
Private sector: up from 29.3% to 34.8%.
Figure 1

Far fewer 2025 federal agency leavers now work in the executive branch

Share of leavers by current role, September 2026, per cent
Dot plot. Share of leavers by current role, September 2026, per cent: Federal executive branch, 2024 leavers 19.4, Federal executive branch, 2025 leavers 4.9, State and local government, 2024 leavers 6.3, State and local government, 2025 leavers 7.6, Private for-profit, 2024 leavers 29.3, Private for-profit, 2025 leavers 34.8, Education and non-profit, 2024 leavers 12.4, Education and non-profit, 2025 leavers 11.5, Self-employed or freelance, 2024 leavers 2.7, Self-employed or freelance, 2025 leavers 3.5, Retired, 2024 leavers 7, Retired, 2025 leavers 15.4, No current role listed, 2024 leavers 22.3, No current role listed, 2025 leavers 21.6.
Source: Live Data Technologies data. The newest months are still being recorded, so counts are a floor.

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How we counted

People whose job at one of 21 federal agencies ended in 2024 or 2025, staff level and above, with each person's current role as of September 2026. A move from one of the 21 agencies to a different federal agency counts as a federal executive branch job. We compare shares of leavers, not totals, and the data says nothing about why people left.

People who left in 2024 have had longer to find work, so the full analysis with Aaron Terrazas compares the first nine months after leaving instead: 3.5% of 2025 leavers started a new federal job, against 15.3% of 2024 leavers. Read it on HumanCount.

Analysis partner

Run with Aaron Terrazas, independent and fractional economist.

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About the data

People whose job at one of 21 federal agencies ended in 2024 or 2025, staff level and above, with each person's current role as of September 2026. A move to a different federal agency counts as a federal executive branch job. Shares of leavers, not totals; the data does not show why people left.

How to cite this

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Source: Live Data Technologies
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Alex Hamilton
Head of Insights, Live Data Technologies
Alex leads Live Data's in-house analysis of workforce trends. He studied economics and worked in economic research at the Financial Times and in insights at Dealroom.co. His analysis has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Business Insider.
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A year after the deferred resignation program, where did federal leavers go?

Of people who left 21 federal agencies in 2025, 4.9% now hold another federal executive branch job, against 19.4% of 2024 leavers.

Want this cut for your own companies, roles or region?

Ask for a custom cut
Alex Hamilton
September 2026