US government faces brain drain as 154,000 federal workers leave

This week's figure is largest single-year exodus of civil servants in 80 years

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More than 150,000 federal employees will leave the US government payroll this week after accepting buyouts - the largest single-year exodus of civil servants in nearly 80 years, triggering what unions and governance experts warn is a damaging loss of institutional expertise.

The official resignations began on Sept 30 for workers who opted into a deferred exit programme that kept them on the payroll through September.

The buyouts are a cornerstone of President Donald Trump's push to shrink the federal workforce, combining financial incentives with threats of dismissal for those who declined the offer.

Many left their agencies months ago, according to the federal government's HR office, and have effectively been on paid leave.

Dr Don Moynihan of the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan said the biggest impact of this week's exodus will be the brain drain of so many experienced civil servants, a loss of talent he says will be hard to reverse.

"It takes years to develop deep knowledge and expertise to deliver government programmes these people run. Now much of the knowledge is walking out the door," Dr Moynihan said.

The loss of expertise is making it harder for many agencies to carry out their work and serve the American public, according to interviews with current and former government staff and union officials.

The buyouts have adversely impacted a wide range of government activities, including weather forecasting, food safety, health programmes and space projects, according to the people who spoke to Reuters.

At the National Weather Service, nearly 200 people took buyouts, causing a loss of experienced meteorologists and technical staff who maintain forecasting equipment.

"It has caused massive disruption in offices throughout the country," said Mr Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organisation.