{"id":41829,"date":"2024-09-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/?p=41829"},"modified":"2024-09-04T10:26:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T14:26:42","slug":"recent-trends-in-quits-and-retirements-in-the-federal-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/blog\/recent-trends-in-quits-and-retirements-in-the-federal-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Recent trends in quits and retirements in the federal workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Partnership for Public Service recently examined attrition in the federal workforce over a five year period, from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2023. The work builds on our Fed Figures report on previous attrition trends<\/a>, as well as an analysis of additional data from fiscal 2019 through fiscal 2021.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focusing on voluntary attrition from the federal civil service\u2014the number of quits and retirements in a fiscal year divided by the number of employees at the end of the previous fiscal year\u2014we found that attrition declined in fiscal 2023, but that women and young people voluntarily left the government at higher than average rates, shedding light on where agencies might focus their recruitment and retention efforts.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five-year attrition trend (fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2023) <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the past five fiscal years, attrition peaked in fiscal 2022 at 7.6%. That year, nearly 150,000 federal employees left the government, with 70,000 departing due to retirement and 77,000 quitting their position.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This increase in departures may have occurred because more employees became eligible to retire, or due to certain economic factors or pushes to return to in-office work as the COVID-19 pandemic waned.\u00a0\u00a0ou<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fiscal 2023, the federal workforce rebounded, posting a 5.9% attrition rate and 115,900 departures, the lowest since fiscal 2020 and a potential sign that fears of a \u201cGreat Resignation\u201d in government<\/a> were overblown. In addition, it should be noted that the federal workforce has continued to grow<\/a> over the past five fiscal years, regardless of how many employees left government.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fiscal 2024 attrition rate will provide important insight into whether the drop in fiscal 2023 was a reversal of the years-long trend or simply an aberration.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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