GAO Finds OPM Lost 35% of Staff as Questions Mount Over Federal Capacity

A Government Accountability Office review released July 20 found that the Office of Personnel Management lost 1,052 employees, or 35% of its staff, between December 31, 2024, and March 31, 2026. GAO said the reductions may weaken institutional knowledge and worsen existing skills gaps, but it could not fully assess the consequences because OPM did not provide requested records or answer written questions.

The findings put new attention on the capacity of the federal government’s central personnel agency as agencies across the country rely on OPM for workforce policy, hiring guidance, personnel administration, retirement programs, workforce data and related oversight functions.

What changed at OPM

OPM reported eliminating 10 offices, including the Office of Procurement Operations. GAO also found staffing reductions in several major offices between fiscal years 2024 and 2026.

Human Resources Solutions declined by 36%, while the Office of the Chief Information Officer fell by 49%. Workforce Policy and Innovation declined by 45%, and Merit System Accountability and Compliance fell by 41%. Retirement Services, which administers federal civilian retirement systems, declined by 16% in full-time-equivalent positions even as OPM reported a historic surge in retirements during 2025.

The report does not establish that OPM’s services have broadly failed. Instead, it identifies risks involving operational capacity, staffing depth and the loss of experienced employees.

Of the employees who separated during the period reviewed, 57% had at least 11 years of service and 18% had at least 31 years. GAO said that experience represents institutional knowledge that can be difficult to replace. The report also found that 59% of separations occurred through a deferred resignation program and 10% through a reduction in force, meaning the departures did not all occur through the same process.

Why the review is limited

GAO requested documents about changes to OPM offices and programs, the reasons for closing or consolidating offices, workforce-planning processes and the expected costs and benefits. According to the report, OPM provided comments on a preliminary draft but did not provide the requested documents, respond to written questions or agree to meet with investigators.

As a result, GAO said it could not provide a complete assessment of the changes’ rationale, costs, benefits or effect on OPM’s ability to carry out its mission. That distinction matters: the report documents a major staffing decline and identifies potential risks, but it does not quantify service disruptions or prove that federal employees, retirees or job applicants have already experienced widespread delays.

An older skills-gap warning remains open

The review also connects the current reductions to a longer-running accountability issue. In a 2023 report, GAO recommended that OPM create an action plan to address skills gaps within its own workforce. As of June 2026, OPM told GAO it was still reassessing how to proceed and identifying possible funding sources for workforce-development efforts.

OPM’s inspector general separately identified workforce reductions as a top management challenge for fiscal year 2026, citing immediate gaps in operational capacity.

What to watch next

The next questions are whether Congress requests additional records, whether OPM publishes more detailed workforce or budget information, and whether the inspector general follows up on operational risks. Evidence involving retirement processing, federal hiring support, employee appeals or personnel-policy services would help show whether the staffing changes remain an internal capacity concern or produce measurable effects for people who depend on federal agencies.

Sources

• GAO report GAO-26-108916: Recent Federal Workforce Changes at OPM
• OPM Policy, Data and Oversight
• OPM Inspector General Fiscal Year 2026 Top Management Challenges