Civilian Workforce: DOD Should Assess Lessons Learned to Better Understand Reduction Impacts , May 29 , 2026
Civilian Workforce: DOD Should Assess Lessons Learned to Better Understand Reduction Impacts , May 29 , 2026
From the report: "Department of Defense (DOD) components develop their program requirements and estimate needed resources—a phase known as programming—during an annual resourcing process. GAO found that roughly half of DOD components (22 of 40) programmed reductions to their civilian workforces in at least one fiscal year (FY) from FYs 2023–2025. These reductions ranged from 0.1 percent to 9.8 percent of a component’s civilian workforce. GAO’s review of DOD’s FY 2026 budget request identified more reductions than in prior FYs (see figure).
Of the 14 components GAO selected for more in-depth review, 11 conducted some analysis of the impacts of workforce reductions during FYs 2023–2025 to inform their decisions. However, some components did not consistently conduct analysis as required or provide related documentation. According to component officials, DOD had not provided guidance for when and how to conduct and document this analysis. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 includes a provision for DOD to provide additional guidance on analysis required to inform workforce reductions."
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