Key USDA programs impacted as 15,000 staffers resign

At least 15,000 employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have accepted voluntary resignation offers from the Trump administration, according to a readout of a USDA briefing shared with POLITICO.

The departures constitute a significant reduction of a department that oversees a wide range of programs, including farm lending, food safety, rural broadband, and key federal nutrition programs.

The voluntary exit program was offered in two rounds. Just under 4,000 employees accepted during the initial phase in January, but a second offer drew more than 11,300 additional resignations, with more still possible. The program allows employees to receive full pay through September despite stepping down early.

A USDA spokesperson confirmed the figures to Reuters, noting the resignations represent roughly 15 percent of the agency’s workforce.

“President Biden and Secretary Vilsack left USDA in complete disarray, including hiring thousands of employees with no sustainable way to pay them,” USDA spokesperson Seth Christensen wrote in a statement. “Secretary Rollins is working to reorient the department to be more effective and efficient at serving the American people, including by prioritizing farmers, ranchers, and producers. She will not compromise the critical work of the Department.”

Following judges’ orders, in March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reinstated employees who were fired en masse in February. But now, many of those workers who are being paid not to perform any duties fear that another shoe will drop.

The agency is reportedly aiming to eliminate up to 30,000 positions, according to POLITICO, with future reductions expected through a formal reduction-in-force plan. Some USDA staffers said they opted to leave rather than work under what they described as a culture of “surveillance and fear.” The Trump administration had previously dismissed — and later attempted to rehire — thousands of probationary employees.

Major programs have not been shielded from the exits. The POLITICO readout noted that 555 employees from the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which oversees meat inspections and avian influenza response, have departed. Other divisions hit hard include:

• Farm Service Agency and county offices: Over 1,000 resignations
• Natural Resources Conservation Service: 2,408 resignations
• U.S. Forest Service: Over 4,000 resignations
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Marketing and Regulatory Programs: 1,846 resignations
• Agricultural Research Service: 1,255 resignations
• National Agricultural Statistics Service: 243 resignations
• Economic Research Service: 78 resignations
• National Institute for Food and Agriculture: 54 resignations
• Food and Nutrition Service: 498 resignations

FNS, which oversees 16 programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and school meals, lost hundreds of staff members. A person familiar with internal dynamics told POLITICO that long-serving, highly knowledgeable employees are among those leaving, making them “very hard to replace.”

Despite the ongoing hiring freeze, USDA still plans to fill 53 roles, citing national security concerns, according to Christensen.

USDA’s own website lists more than 100,000 employees working in over 4,500 locations. While the recent wave of resignations accounts for a sizable reduction, the department may be on track for even deeper cuts in the months ahead.

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