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More than 24,000 federal workers in Indiana were among the millions of federal employees who on Tuesday received a memo offering the option to resign while still receiving pay through September—a Trump administration initiative that could have wide-reaching impacts nationwide.
The memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, sent to federal employees with the title “A Fork in the Road,” said they would receive eight months of severance pay and retain all benefits if they offer to resign by Feb. 6. The memo followed a Jan. 20 executive order signed by President Donald Trump that required all federal workers to return to the office.
The buyout offer does not include members of the military, U.S. Postal service employees, immigration enforcement and national security workers, and positions excluded by individual agencies.
The federal government employed more than 3 million people as of November last year, which accounted for nearly 1.9% of the nation’s entire civilian workforce, according to the Pew Research Center. The average tenure for a federal employee is nearly 12 years, according to a Pew analysis of data from OPM.
Here’s a look at the federal workforce in Indiana:
How many federal workers are there in Indiana?
As of March 2024, there were 24,680 federal workers employed in Indiana, not including uniformed military personnel and federal contractors, according to the Congressional Research Service.
How many federal employees work in Indianapolis?
There are an estimated 12,440 federal workers in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, which covers all of Indianapolis.
How about the suburbs?
In District 4, which includes Boone, Hamilton and Morgan counties, there are an estimated 8,267 federal employees. District 5, which includes Hamilton County, has about 8,874 federal workers. And in District 6, which in part consists of southern Marion County, along with Hancock, Johnson and Shelby counties, there are approximately 7,541 federal employees.
What federal departments employ people in Indiana?
Indiana federal employees work for departments including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Agency; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Social Security Administration; the Veterans Affairs Department; the National Weather Service; the Federal Aviation Administration; and the federal court system.
The U.S. General Services Administration manages space in more than 100 leased and 50 owned buildings, including courthouses.
Where do federal employees work in Indianapolis?
In Indianapolis, federal employees work in downtown buildings, such as the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, the Minton-Capehart Federal Building and the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans’ Administration Medical Center. Government buildings also include the Major General Emmett J. Bean Federal Center on the northeast side and the FBI’s office on the north side.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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