Accountability and Reform Research Consortium: Federal Exit Survey Findings
Independent Employee Exit Survey Explores Implications of Federal Restructuring
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, NY — October 22, 2026
The federal workforce is undergoing its largest restructuring in decades, but the public record has largely been anecdotal until now. The Federal Employee Exit Survey, released today by the Accountability and Reform Research Consortium (ARRC), convened by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Volcker Alliance, collected responses from 2,045 career civil servants across 55 agencies and departments who separated from federal service on or after November 5, 2024. “This survey captures timely insights from those who left about their departure experiences, the atmosphere at federal agencies during this period, and the impact of these changes on government capacity—straight from the source,” said Gary E. Hollibaugh, Jr., Principal Investigator, University of Pittsburgh.
The survey findings provide the first systematic evidence base for policymakers, practitioners, and the public to understand the cuts made, the experience of civil servants affected, and the implications for the capacity of federal agencies to deliver on their missions. “Accountability requires comprehensive evidence,” said William G. Resh, Co-Investigator, Georgia State University. “Personnel records tell one story, but testimony from departing employees tells many others. There is so much to learn about and from these historic personnel actions.”
Key Results:
- Politicization was the leading reason for leaving. Of 15 possible factors, politicization of respondents’ work or agency received the highest average importance rating, outranking job security, work environment, and even involuntary separation itself. About half reported very often seeing political influence over hiring, promotion, and assignment decisions (50%).
- Most departures were not voluntary. Nearly three quarters, 73%, of respondents report departing due to pressure, incentives, or involuntary separation.
- Limited coverage of affected responsibilities. Only 10% of respondents reported that their responsibilities were fully covered when they left, and 39% of the involuntarily separated say their role was eliminated outright.
- Respondents describe workplaces where people stopped speaking up. 57% of respondents said that in their final month of federal service, they very often saw colleagues self-censoring out of fear—the most frequently reported of six workplace behaviors asked about.
- Costs to government capacity. Asked what their own departure, combined with other staffing losses, would cost their agency, loss of specialized expertise rose to the top.
- Reemployment has been slow. Nearly half of respondents had not found new employment at the time of the survey.
- The door to public service remains open. The call to public service among respondents is resilient. Nearly a quarter of respondents who reported their current employment still work in public service, at other levels of government or in the nonprofit sector, and—notably—most (87%) of those involuntarily separated said they might or would consider returning to the federal government.
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About the Survey
The Federal Employee Exit Survey was collaboratively developed by a team of ARRC researchers across multiple academic institutions and disciplines. Eight organizations provided input on survey design and distributed the instrument to their respective networks to reach an expansive audience. Partners included Civil Service Strong, Partnership for Public Service, Federation of American Scientists, Niskanen Center, FedsForward, Federal Workers Alliance for Democracy, Work for America, and the Volcker Alliance. Principal Investigator Gary E. Hollibaugh, Jr. (University of Pittsburgh) and Co-Investigator William G. Resh (Georgia State University) led the effort.
The survey asked respondents to describe conditions preceding their departure, and those accounts may be shaped by the departure itself. The design establishes how respondents describe their reasons for leaving; it does not establish causation.
About ARRC
The Accountability and Reform Research Consortium is an innovative research collaborative formed to deliver rigorous and timely research on the impact of cuts to the federal workforce and programs on public service delivery, citizens, and democratic governance in the United States. ARRC is convened by the Volcker Alliance and co-chaired by William Resh, professor and chair of the Department of Public Management and Policy at Georgia State University, and Christopher Koliba, Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Administration, Policy & Governance at the University of Kansas.
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Media Inquiries, please contact:
William Resh | [email protected]
Gary Hollibaugh | [email protected]
