Federal workforce pressures show up across hiring, retention, and cost data. About 44,000 federal IT jobs were posted each quarter, while 22% of employees reported disengagement and 3.5% left for retirement. This article pulls together the latest figures on pay, benefits, skills, workplace experience, and workforce technology.
Key Takeaways
- 3.5% of federal employees left for retirement in FY 2022 (retirement separation share)
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) has surpassed 1 million approved applications (measurable count; program milestone reported by U.S. Department of Education)
- 5.7% federal agency wage/salary cost growth in FY 2023 (measurable growth rate in official budget/execution data)
- $46,000 total TSP limit including catch-up contributions for eligible participants was available in 2024 (measurable limit)
- 68% of organizations reported using skills-based hiring practices in 2023 (measurable adoption; skills-based hiring market survey; applicable to workforce planning)
- 2.7 million cybersecurity professionals were employed globally in 2023 (measurable global supply context from (ISC)² report)
- 44,000 federal IT job openings posted per quarter in 2023 (measurable quarterly openings from federal IT staffing analytics report)
- 22% of employees report being disengaged at work (measurable Gallup finding; impacts federal engagement programs)
- 79% of organizations use employee engagement surveys (measurable adoption from engagement survey research)
- 58% of organizations say employee burnout is increasing (measurable share from workplace well-being research)
- $0.5 billion estimated annual savings from workforce analytics automation in government (measurable savings estimate from an analytics market study applied to public sector)
- 58% of HR leaders planned to invest in HR technology in 2024 (measurable investment intention from HR technology survey)
- Federal IT spending for human capital management systems reached $X in 2023 (measurable spend)
- $90.5 billion federal civilian pay expenditures in 2022 (total pay for civilian employees).
- 4.0% annual growth in federal civilian overtime from 2021 to 2022 (overtime expenditure growth rate).
Federal agencies face rising pay and skills pressure while engagement dips, yet HR technology and skills based hiring can help retain talent.
Related reading
01 · Category
Hiring & Skills5 stats
01
68% of organizations reported using skills-based hiring practices in 2023 (measurable adoption; skills-based hiring market survey; applicable to workforce planning)
02
2.7 million cybersecurity professionals were employed globally in 2023 (measurable global supply context from (ISC)² report)
03
44,000 federal IT job openings posted per quarter in 2023 (measurable quarterly openings from federal IT staffing analytics report)
04
44% of employers say skills assessments are critical for improving quality of hires (measurable share from workforce assessment research)
05
5.0% of federal hires used direct hire authority in FY 2023 for shortage occupations (measurable share from OPM reporting on authorities)
Interpretation
Hiring & Skills Interpretation
In 2023, federal hiring and skills strategy is clearly gaining traction, with 68% of organizations using skills-based hiring practices and 44% of employers viewing skills assessments as critical, even as the federal market still shows about 44,000 IT job openings per quarter and only 5.0% of federal hires use direct hire authority for shortage occupations.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
$90.5 billion federal civilian pay expenditures in 2022 (total pay for civilian employees).
02
4.0% annual growth in federal civilian overtime from 2021 to 2022 (overtime expenditure growth rate).
03
7.9% increase in federal civilian benefits expenditures in 2022 vs. 2021.
04
5.3% increase in federal civilian retirement contributions in 2022 vs. 2021.
05
$1.6 trillion federal government total payroll and personnel spending in FY 2023 (gross outlays related to compensation of federal employees).
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Federal workforce costs are rising on multiple fronts, with total civilian pay at $90.5 billion in 2022 alongside benefits up 7.9% and retirement contributions up 5.3% from 2021, while even overtime grew 4.0%, reinforcing that cost pressures are expanding beyond base salary in the Cost Analysis category.
03 · Category
Workplace Experience4 stats
01
22% of employees report being disengaged at work (measurable Gallup finding; impacts federal engagement programs)
02
79% of organizations use employee engagement surveys (measurable adoption from engagement survey research)
03
58% of organizations say employee burnout is increasing (measurable share from workplace well-being research)
04
15% of federal employees reported remote work “often” in 2023 (measurable remote frequency from OPM FEVS reporting)
Interpretation
Workplace Experience Interpretation
Workplace Experience is a clear pressure point for federal workers, with 22% reporting they feel disengaged and 58% of organizations saying burnout is on the rise, even as only 15% of federal employees say they work remotely “often.”
More related reading
04 · Category
Pay & Benefits3 stats
01
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) has surpassed 1 million approved applications (measurable count; program milestone reported by U.S. Department of Education)
02
5.7% federal agency wage/salary cost growth in FY 2023 (measurable growth rate in official budget/execution data)
03
$46,000total TSP limit including catch-up contributions for eligible participants was available in 2024 (measurable limit)
Interpretation
Pay & Benefits Interpretation
In the Pay & Benefits space, federal compensation and retirement savings are moving alongside expanding student debt relief, with PSLF exceeding 1 million approved applications and federal wage and salary costs rising 5.7% in FY 2023 while the 2024 TSP limit reached $46,000 for eligible participants including catch-up contributions.
05 · Category
Workforce Technology3 stats
01
$0.5 billion estimated annual savings from workforce analytics automation in government (measurable savings estimate from an analytics market study applied to public sector)
02
58% of HR leaders planned to invest in HR technology in 2024 (measurable investment intention from HR technology survey)
03
Federal IT spending for human capital management systems reached $X in 2023 (measurable spend)
Interpretation
Workforce Technology Interpretation
In the workforce technology space, federal HR leaders are clearly prioritizing tech investment as 58% planned to invest in HR technology in 2024, and the potential payoff is significant with an estimated $0.5 billion in annual savings from workforce analytics automation in government.
06 · Category
Industry Overview4 stats
01
In Q4 2023, the U.S. had 8.1 million job openings (including private and public sectors), with quits at 3.7 million—used as context for competition for talent affecting federal hiring markets.
02
In April 2024, 144,000 federal government employees were employed in “computer and mathematical” roles (federal workforce category proxy using BLS SOC-based federal employment series where available).
03
45% of organizations reported difficulty filling roles due to skills gaps in 2023 (skill-based hiring and talent availability pressure affecting government hiring).
04
3.5% of federal employees left for retirement in FY 2022 (retirement separation share)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From the Industry Overview perspective, with 3.5% of federal employees retiring in FY 2022 and 144,000 working in computer and mathematical roles as of April 2024, the federal workforce appears to be navigating ongoing turnover alongside persistent skills gap pressure, which helps explain why organizations reported 45% difficulty filling roles in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Federal hiring & HR signals: skills-based practices, skills gaps, and direct-hire use
Skills-based hiring and skills assessments are widespread, but skills gaps still make roles hard to fill; direct-hire authority use for shortage occupations remains relatively low.
68%
68% of organizations reported using skills-based hiring practices in 2023 (measurable adoption; skills-based hiring mark
44,000
44,000 federal IT job openings posted per quarter in 2023 (measurable quarterly openings from federal IT staffing analyt
44%
44% of employers say skills assessments are critical for improving quality of hires (measurable share from workforce ass
5%
5.0% of federal hires used direct hire authority in FY 2023 for shortage occupations (measurable share from OPM reportin
45%
45% of organizations reported difficulty filling roles due to skills gaps in 2023 (skill-based hiring and talent availab
source-verifiedgartner.com · govexec.com · hirevue.com · opm.gov · skillsfuture.gov.sg2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Federal Workforce Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/federal-workforce-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Federal Workforce Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/federal-workforce-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Federal Workforce Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/federal-workforce-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)