Career vs Temporary: Who Got Cut?
How DOGE separations break down by federal appointment type.
58% of all RIFs hit career permanent employees — the backbone of government. That's 6,145 career employees involuntarily separated out of 10,678 total RIFs.
Total Separations
335,033
Total RIFs
10,678
Appointment Types
15
Career RIF %
58%
Of all RIFs
Separations by Appointment Type
| Type | Employees | 2025 Seps | 2024 Seps | % Change | RIFs | Impact % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career (competitive Service Permanent) | 1,155,030 | 150,840 | 73,899 | +104.1% | 6,145 | 13.1% |
| Career-conditional (competitive Service Permanent) | 219,488 | 56,722 | 32,021 | +77.1% | 1,289 | 25.8% |
| Other (excepted Service Permanent) | 520,203 | 52,695 | 37,528 | +40.4% | 1,631 | 10.1% |
| Other (excepted Service Nonpermanent) | 54,409 | 21,939 | 17,335 | +26.6% | 710 | 40.3% |
| Nonpermanent (competittive Service Nonpermanent) | 25,751 | 19,597 | 18,260 | +7.3% | 68 | 76.1% |
| Schedule a (excepted Service Permanent) | 59,991 | 13,057 | 5,442 | +139.9% | 626 | 21.8% |
| Schedule a (excepted Service Nonpermanent) | 21,300 | 10,285 | 10,302 | -0.2% | 42 | 48.3% |
| Schedule D (excepted Service Permanent) | 1,843 | 2,869 | 1,531 | +87.4% | 93 | 155.7% |
| Career (senior Executive Service Permanent) | 6,459 | 1,959 | 753 | +160.2% | 21 | 30.3% |
| Schedule C (excepted Service Nonpermanent) | 1,805 | 1,573 | 401 | +292.3% | 0 | 87.1% |
| Schedule D (excepted Service Nonpermanent) | 380 | 987 | 2,882 | -65.8% | 6 | 259.7% |
| Noncareer (senior Executive Service Permanent) | 766 | 828 | 146 | +467.1% | 0 | 108.1% |
| Schedule B (excepted Service Permanent) | 3,626 | 803 | 223 | +260.1% | 40 | 22.1% |
| Executive (excepted Service Nonpermanent) | 475 | 461 | 104 | +343.3% | 0 | 97.1% |
| Schedule B (excepted Service Nonpermanent) | 2,700 | 418 | 248 | +68.5% | 7 | 15.5% |
What Are Appointment Types?
Career (Competitive Service)
Employees who passed a competitive exam and completed their probationary period. These are permanent positions with full civil service protections — which also makes them the hardest to fire, regardless of performance.
Career-Conditional
Employees still in their probationary period (typically 1-2 years). They're on the path to career status but can still be let go for performance — the one window where normal accountability applies.
Excepted Service (Schedule A, B, C, D)
Hired under special authorities outside the competitive exam process. Schedule A covers people with disabilities and certain professionals. Schedule C covers political appointees. Schedule D (used by agencies like DHS) often covers entry-level pathways. Excepted service employees like VA doctors, FBI agents, and intelligence officers are critical specialists.
Senior Executive Service (SES)
The top tier of federal management — senior leaders who bridge political appointees and the career workforce. Career SES members are supposed to be non-partisan experts; noncareer SES are political appointees. SES members earn $150-200K+ and are rarely held accountable for agency performance.
Nonpermanent / Temporary
Term-limited positions including seasonal workers, interns, and temporary hires. These are the positions that should flex up and down with actual need — exactly how a well-run organization operates.