What we know about veterans who work for the federal government

As of September 2024, more than 700,000 veterans worked in various federal departments and agencies – making up nearly a quarter of the federal government’s entire civilian workforce. By comparison, veterans account for just 5% of all employed Americans.

Though veterans are, at least in some cases, more protected than other federal workers from layoffs, some veterans already have lost their jobs in the Trump administration’s efforts to slash federal payrolls.