Trump Plans to Relocate 100,000 Federal Jobs

Donald Trump, the elected US president, intends to relocate up to 100,000 federal government jobs away from Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post.

This is a move he previously attempted during his first term but ultimately failed to execute successfully.

In his latest push, Trump and his supporters argue that relocating these jobs to more affordable areas would bring the federal workforce closer to the public and “patriotic Americans who love the country.”

Trump emphasized this vision in a campaign video, stating his intention to bring jobs to locations that would benefit stakeholders while reducing the overall costs of government operations.

During his first presidency, Trump attempted a smaller-scale relocation of federal jobs, which resulted in the loss of experienced staff, unreliable cost savings, and widespread disruptions to government operations.

One of the most notable examples occurred in 2019, when the Trump administration announced plans to move the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and about 600 jobs to the small city of Grand Junction, Colorado.

However, when the new offices opened a year later, only three employees moved to the new location.

The majority chose to leave the agency or work remotely, with nearly 90% of staff opting to leave rather than relocate.

Additionally, Trump’s administration relocated the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from Washington to Kansas City.

The move, which saw about 700 positions shifted, severely disrupted the operations of these agencies. A report from a government watchdog revealed that many key positions were left unfilled, raising questions about the long-term cost savings of such relocations.

As President Biden took office in 2021, Tracy Stone-Manning, who became head of the Bureau of Land Management, described the move as a "mass exodus of talent," highlighting the difficulties caused by the forced relocations and the resulting loss of experienced personnel.