Per CNN, more than 40,000 federal workers — about 2% of the federal civilian workforce — have reportedly already accepted the Trump administration’s offer to leave their jobs by the end of February in exchange for pay until September 30.
According to officials from the Office of Personnel Management, that number is still growing, with an onslaught of employees expected to resign before the deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday. In a statement, a spokesperson described the deferred resignation offer as “a rare, generous opportunity,” but heeded warning that those who don’t accept are still at risk of losing their jobs.
The offer comes as part of President Trump’s effort to rapidly shrink the size of the government workforce, headed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The White House has previously said it expected as many as 200,000 people to accept the offer.