# Former Feds Report Agency Capacity Risks

A nonrandom survey of more than 2,000 former career federal employees across 55 agencies found that perceived political influence was a leading reported reason for leaving, and nearly three-quarters of respondents said their departures involved pressure, incentives, or involuntary separation. Respondents also reported loss of expertise, reduced public services, and increased backlogs and error risks. The findings identify no contract, solicitation, or specific procurement opportunity, but point to workforce continuity concerns that could affect agency program execution and contractor interactions.

- Contractors supporting affected agencies may face capacity constraints, slower government reviews, and continuity risks; transition and handoff planning can account for the reported loss of institutional expertise.
- Procurement and program teams can use these findings as context when assessing staffing dependencies, oversight capacity, and execution risks in agency-supported work.
- The survey also suggests a potential pool of experienced former federal employees, although the signals identify no specific hiring program or procurement vehicle.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Published:** November 03, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

### Key Quotes
> By and large, people were saying that there was going to be a dramatic reduction in capacity in the agencies that were being left behind, not only in terms of the expertise that was going out the door, but also with the ways that the actual handoffs were being handled.
> — Gary Hollibaugh, survey co-lead

> At a very basic human level, people want to work for employers that treat them well.
> — William Resh, survey project lead

### Sources
- [
        Political influence was the leading cause behind why some feds left their jobs - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/podcast/federal-drive-with-terry-gerton-podcast/political-influence-was-the-leading-cause-behind-why-some-feds-left-their-jobs) - Federal News Network
- [‘Exit survey’ of former feds finds fears of civil service politicization under Trump — and many willing to return to their agencies  - Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2026/11/exit-survey-former-feds-civil-service-politicization-trump/417000) - Government Executive
- [
        Many federal employee separations were not truly ‘voluntary,’ survey shows - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/11/many-federal-employee-separations-were-not-truly-voluntary-survey-shows) - Federal News Network