Posted March 7, 2025 at 1:17 pm by Ben Zipperer

Trump’s federal workforce cuts jeopardize the careers of nearly 900,000 veterans and veteran or military spouses: Cuts to federal employment will affect veterans in every state

The Trump administration’s attacks on federal government workers will disproportionately harm veterans and their families. Nearly 900,000 civilian federal employees are either veterans, spouses of veterans, or spouses of active military, representing 30% of the entire federal government workforce.

Federal government employees are disproportionately likely to be veterans due to federal government hiring preferences. Table 1 shows that currently 758,300 civilian federal government workers are veterans, about 25% of federal employees based on January 2025 employment counts. Since there are about 7.3 million employed veterans, it follows that one out of every 10 employed veterans works for the federal government.

The federal government also employs nearly 250,000 spouses of veterans and spouses of active military. Together, the civilian federal government workforce consists of 895,900 veterans and spouses of veterans or active military. (Some federal government employed veterans are also spouses of veterans.)

Table 1

The federal government employs 900,000 veterans and veteran spouses and military spouses: Civilian federal government employment in January 2025, by veteran status

All federal employees 3,024,000
Veterans 758,300
Spouses of veterans or military 244,500
Veterans and spouses of veterans or military 895,900

Notes: The count of "Veterans and spouses of veterans or military" is less than the sum of "Veterans" and "Spouses of veterans or military" because some veterans are also spouses of veterans or active military.

Source: Analysis of the American Community Survey, Current Employment Statistics, FedScope, and Geocorr.

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Cuts to federal employment will affect veterans in every state. Table 2 shows that in five states—California, Florida, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia—Trump administration cuts to federal employment could affect more than 50,000 employed veterans and spouses of veterans. Even in the least populous states, more than 1,000 veterans and veteran spouses are at risk of losing their jobs. Table 3 shows federal worker employment counts by congressional district.

Table 2

Civilian federal employment by state and veteran status

State Overall Veterans Veterans and spouses of veterans or military
Alabama 61,900 18,600 21,900
Alaska 15,000 5,100 6,200
Arizona 63,800 18,000 21,100
Arkansas 20,100 4,100 5,000
California 255,600 58,200 66,100
Colorado 60,600 18,300 21,800
Connecticut 22,000 4,500 5,500
Delaware 9,200 2,600 3,400
District of Columbia 49,100 4,000 4,900
Florida 154,300 48,700 56,800
Georgia 106,500 31,000 36,500
Hawaii 29,400 9,900 11,900
Idaho 18,500 3,900 4,600
Illinois 89,700 17,600 20,900
Indiana 48,300 9,300 11,400
Iowa 21,900 5,400 6,400
Kansas 28,100 7,300 8,800
Kentucky 34,800 8,600 10,200
Louisiana 34,600 8,000 9,300
Maine 12,000 2,600 3,200
Maryland 225,400 48,400 58,100
Massachusetts 43,900 6,700 7,700
Michigan 54,300 11,100 13,600
Minnesota 31,700 5,700 7,100
Mississippi 30,100 7,900 9,500
Missouri 52,900 12,400 14,700
Montana 15,400 4,000 4,900
Nebraska 17,500 5,000 5,700
Nevada 27,800 8,500 10,300
New Hampshire 13,100 3,300 4,200
New Jersey 56,200 9,400 10,600
New Mexico 44,200 10,100 12,300
New York 129,400 15,200 18,300
North Carolina 84,900 27,700 33,200
North Dakota 9,200 2,800 3,300
Ohio 81,100 20,200 23,600
Oklahoma 60,100 13,500 16,700
Oregon 25,300 5,000 5,900
Pennsylvania 90,500 19,200 22,300
Rhode Island 11,900 2,400 2,500
South Carolina 43,200 13,300 15,500
South Dakota 10,500 2,500 3,100
Tennessee 66,600 17,300 20,600
Texas 249,000 74,500 87,100
Utah 35,200 7,500 8,700
Vermont 5,500 1,200 1,600
Virginia 235,500 79,800 93,100
Washington 78,300 24,800 29,400
West Virginia 23,000 5,500 6,500
Wisconsin 28,900 5,500 7,000
Wyoming 8,100 2,400 2,800

Source: Analysis of the American Community Survey, Current Employment Statistics, FedScope, and Geocorr.

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Table 3

Civilian federal employment by congressional district and veteran status

Congressional district Overall Veterans Veterans and spouses of veterans or military
Alaska – 1 15,000 5,100 6,200
Arizona – 1 4,300 1,000 1,200
Arizona – 2 11,300 1,500 2,100
Arizona – 3 4,600 1,000 1,100
Arizona – 4 4,700 1,500 1,600
Arizona – 5 5,300 1,200 1,500
Arizona – 6 10,200 3,900 4,400
Arizona – 7 8,700 3,100 3,600
Arizona – 8 5,600 1,400 1,700
Arizona – 9 9,000 3,400 3,700
Arkansas – 1 5,100 700 900
Arkansas – 2 6,400 1,500 2,000
Arkansas – 3 3,600 – –
Arkansas – 4 5,100 1,000 1,100
California – 1 6,500 1,500 1,800
California – 2 4,500 400 500
California – 3 3,800 800 900
California – 4 4,100 1,000 1,100
California – 5 4,800 1,000 1,100
California – 6 4,700 1,100 1,200
California – 7 6,200 1,100 1,300
California – 8 6,200 1,400 1,600
California – 9 4,900 1,000 1,200
California – 10 4,600 800 900
California – 11 5,200 400 400
California – 12 5,100 600 700
California – 13 3,300 700 800
California – 14 4,300 600 700
California – 15 4,700 600 600
California – 16 3,300 400 500
California – 17 3,000 400 500
California – 18 3,400 600 700
California – 19 5,000 1,100 1,200
California – 20 9,100 2,600 2,900
California – 21 4,500 700 800
California – 22 2,600 700 800
California – 23 7,900 2,900 3,300
California – 24 5,400 900 1,000
California – 25 5,300 1,400 1,500
California – 26 6,900 2,100 2,500
California – 27 6,300 1,400 1,700
California – 28 4,900 400 400
California – 29 3,900 300 400
California – 30 3,600 400 500
California – 31 2,900 400 400
California – 32 3,000 300 300
California – 33 3,400 – –
California – 34 2,600 300 300
California – 35 2,600 500 500
California – 36 3,100 500 500
California – 37 5,700 600 700
California – 38 3,400 400 400
California – 39 3,200 700 800
California – 40 3,100 500 500
California – 41 4,700 1,900 2,000
California – 42 4,600 600 800
California – 43 5,300 700 800
California – 44 3,800 600 700
California – 45 4,600 500 600
California – 46 4,500 700 700
California – 47 2,600 400 500
California – 48 10,100 4,700 5,200
California – 49 4,400 2,000 2,300
California – 50 7,400 2,500 2,700
California – 51 9,900 4,300 4,600
California – 52 12,600 5,400 6,300
Colorado – 1 7,600 1,500 1,800
Colorado – 2 5,000 900 1,100
Colorado – 3 7,000 1,400 1,600
Colorado – 4 6,500 2,200 2,600
Colorado – 5 14,800 8,300 9,600
Colorado – 6 7,600 1,800 2,200
Colorado – 7 7,100 1,500 1,800
Colorado – 8 5,000 – –
Connecticut – 1 3,900 600 700
Connecticut – 2 7,200 2,200 2,700
Connecticut – 3 4,500 800 1,100
Connecticut – 4 2,800 – –
Connecticut – 5 3,500 600 600
Delaware – 1 9,200 2,600 3,400
District of Columbia – 1 49,100 4,000 4,900
Florida – 1 13,800 7,800 9,200
Florida – 2 8,100 2,800 3,600
Florida – 3 6,000 1,800 2,100
Florida – 4 12,400 5,400 6,200
Florida – 5 10,400 4,300 4,800
Florida – 6 2,900 700 800
Florida – 7 3,900 – –
Florida – 8 7,400 2,700 3,300
Florida – 9 5,500 1,700 1,900
Florida – 10 4,400 900 1,100
Florida – 11 4,400 – –
Florida – 12 4,400 – –
Florida – 13 6,300 1,800 2,100
Florida – 14 6,600 2,000 2,300
Florida – 15 3,600 1,000 1,200
Florida – 16 6,100 2,800 3,200
Florida – 17 3,600 – –
Florida – 18 3,000 – –
Florida – 19 3,200 – –
Florida – 20 6,300 900 1,100
Florida – 21 4,500 – –
Florida – 22 2,400 – –
Florida – 23 3,100 – –
Florida – 24 4,500 600 700
Florida – 25 6,200 1,000 1,100
Florida – 26 2,300 500 600
Florida – 27 4,200 1,200 1,400
Florida – 28 5,000 1,100 1,300
Hawaii – 1 19,500 6,500 7,800
Hawaii – 2 9,800 3,400 4,100
Idaho – 1 6,000 1,400 1,600
Idaho – 2 12,500 2,500 2,900
Illinois – 1 6,300 800 900
Illinois – 2 6,600 1,100 1,200
Illinois – 3 3,400 500 700
Illinois – 4 4,400 700 700
Illinois – 5 5,100 900 900
Illinois – 6 4,200 600 600
Illinois – 7 9,500 2,000 2,200
Illinois – 8 4,200 700 900
Illinois – 9 3,600 500 500
Illinois – 10 5,800 1,700 2,200
Illinois – 11 4,300 800 900
Illinois – 12 7,800 2,600 3,200
Illinois – 13 6,400 2,000 2,500
Illinois – 14 4,500 800 1,000
Illinois – 15 4,500 1,000 1,100
Illinois – 16 3,700 500 700
Illinois – 17 5,600 700 1,000
Indiana – 1 4,600 – –
Indiana – 2 2,700 – –
Indiana – 3 3,600 – –
Indiana – 4 5,700 1,300 1,400
Indiana – 5 6,100 – –
Indiana – 6 5,200 1,400 2,000
Indiana – 7 8,600 1,400 1,800
Indiana – 8 5,900 1,000 1,300
Indiana – 9 5,900 1,100 1,400
Iowa – 1 7,300 1,800 2,000
Iowa – 2 3,700 – –
Iowa – 3 5,800 1,800 2,100
Iowa – 4 5,000 1,100 1,300
Kansas – 1 5,600 1,600 2,000
Kansas – 2 10,900 3,100 3,700
Kansas – 3 5,400 1,100 1,300
Kansas – 4 6,200 1,500 1,900
Kentucky – 1 4,000 900 1,000
Kentucky – 2 7,500 2,900 3,600
Kentucky – 3 4,300 – –
Kentucky – 4 7,100 1,500 1,700
Kentucky – 5 5,200 800 1,100
Kentucky – 6 6,700 1,600 1,900
Maine – 1 7,100 1,900 2,200
Maine – 2 4,900 800 1,100
Maryland – 1 16,200 4,500 5,400
Maryland – 2 15,300 2,700 3,200
Maryland – 3 30,200 8,300 9,700
Maryland – 4 32,400 5,100 6,200
Maryland – 5 53,400 16,300 20,100
Maryland – 6 23,700 4,800 5,400
Maryland – 7 13,200 2,000 2,400
Maryland – 8 41,000 4,000 4,800
Massachusetts – 1 4,900 700 800
Massachusetts – 2 4,100 800 1,000
Massachusetts – 3 5,800 1,000 1,100
Massachusetts – 4 3,700 600 700
Massachusetts – 5 5,400 900 900
Massachusetts – 6 5,600 600 700
Massachusetts – 7 4,400 500 600
Massachusetts – 8 5,900 800 900
Massachusetts – 9 4,200 800 900
Michigan – 1 6,300 1,300 1,800
Michigan – 2 4,700 900 1,100
Michigan – 3 2,900 – –
Michigan – 4 3,200 – –
Michigan – 5 3,500 800 1,000
Michigan – 6 4,300 – –
Michigan – 7 3,900 – –
Michigan – 8 3,400 – –
Michigan – 9 4,700 1,000 1,300
Michigan – 10 4,900 1,100 1,400
Michigan – 11 3,800 – –
Michigan – 12 4,100 – –
Michigan – 13 4,700 500 700
Minnesota – 1 2,400 – –
Minnesota – 2 5,200 – –
Minnesota – 3 3,400 – –
Minnesota – 4 3,800 – –
Minnesota – 5 4,600 – –
Minnesota – 6 3,600 – –
Minnesota – 7 4,200 700 900
Minnesota – 8 4,400 800 900
Mississippi – 1 5,400 900 1,200
Mississippi – 2 7,100 1,300 1,500
Mississippi – 3 5,700 1,300 1,700
Mississippi – 4 11,800 4,400 5,200
Missouri – 1 9,300 1,200 1,600
Missouri – 2 4,100 1,000 1,100
Missouri – 3 3,800 1,100 1,300
Missouri – 4 9,200 3,100 3,600
Missouri – 5 11,000 2,000 2,500
Missouri – 6 6,300 1,700 1,900
Missouri – 7 3,200 – –
Missouri – 8 6,100 1,400 1,600
Montana – 1 6,900 1,400 1,900
Montana – 2 8,500 2,600 3,000
Nebraska – 1 7,500 2,600 3,000
Nebraska – 2 5,900 1,700 2,000
Nebraska – 3 4,100 700 800
Nevada – 1 6,200 1,500 1,800
Nevada – 2 7,300 2,000 2,500
Nevada – 3 6,400 2,000 2,400
Nevada – 4 7,900 2,800 3,400
New Hampshire – 1 7,500 2,000 2,500
New Hampshire – 2 5,600 1,300 1,700
New Jersey – 1 7,100 1,000 1,200
New Jersey – 2 5,900 1,500 1,600
New Jersey – 3 6,900 2,200 2,600
New Jersey – 4 3,800 700 800
New Jersey – 5 4,000 – –
New Jersey – 6 4,500 400 400
New Jersey – 7 4,600 700 800
New Jersey – 8 3,600 – –
New Jersey – 9 3,100 400 400
New Jersey – 10 5,000 500 600
New Jersey – 11 4,500 600 600
New Jersey – 12 3,300 – –
New Mexico – 1 16,200 3,800 4,500
New Mexico – 2 12,900 3,600 4,400
New Mexico – 3 15,100 2,700 3,400
North Dakota – 1 9,200 2,800 3,300
Ohio – 1 6,500 1,100 1,300
Ohio – 2 4,900 1,200 1,600
Ohio – 3 5,100 1,300 1,500
Ohio – 4 2,600 700 800
Ohio – 5 4,700 1,300 1,400
Ohio – 6 3,800 700 900
Ohio – 7 4,700 700 800
Ohio – 8 7,500 1,400 1,800
Ohio – 9 2,900 – –
Ohio – 10 15,300 5,800 6,600
Ohio – 11 6,700 1,200 1,400
Ohio – 12 4,200 1,100 1,300
Ohio – 13 4,000 – –
Ohio – 14 3,800 – –
Ohio – 15 4,300 1,200 1,400
Oklahoma – 1 6,000 1,100 1,300
Oklahoma – 2 11,700 1,400 1,900
Oklahoma – 3 9,600 2,100 2,600
Oklahoma – 4 19,400 6,500 7,800
Oklahoma – 5 13,400 2,700 3,300
Oregon – 1 2,700 500 500
Oregon – 2 5,400 1,100 1,300
Oregon – 3 4,700 900 900
Oregon – 4 5,600 1,200 1,400
Oregon – 5 3,500 700 700
Oregon – 6 3,400 800 1,000
Pennsylvania – 1 3,600 – –
Pennsylvania – 2 6,200 – –
Pennsylvania – 3 7,200 – –
Pennsylvania – 4 4,200 700 900
Pennsylvania – 5 5,600 1,000 1,100
Pennsylvania – 6 4,200 – –
Pennsylvania – 7 3,000 – –
Pennsylvania – 8 7,000 1,500 1,700
Pennsylvania – 9 5,000 1,100 1,500
Pennsylvania – 10 8,900 2,800 3,300
Pennsylvania – 11 3,900 1,100 1,200
Pennsylvania – 12 5,800 1,100 1,200
Pennsylvania – 13 7,000 2,000 2,300
Pennsylvania – 14 3,900 700 800
Pennsylvania – 15 4,400 900 1,100
Pennsylvania – 16 4,700 1,000 1,200
Pennsylvania – 17 5,900 1,200 1,400
Rhode Island – 1 6,000 1,300 1,400
Rhode Island – 2 5,900 1,000 1,100
South Carolina – 1 10,600 4,200 4,900
South Carolina – 2 11,600 3,500 4,000
South Carolina – 3 3,800 – –
South Carolina – 4 3,700 – –
South Carolina – 5 4,300 1,300 1,600
South Carolina – 6 6,300 2,000 2,400
South Carolina – 7 2,900 – –
South Dakota – 1 10,500 2,500 3,100
Tennessee – 1 6,600 1,400 1,800
Tennessee – 2 7,300 1,500 1,800
Tennessee – 3 9,800 2,200 2,500
Tennessee – 4 8,300 1,900 2,100
Tennessee – 5 5,300 1,500 1,600
Tennessee – 6 5,600 1,300 1,400
Tennessee – 7 9,400 4,300 5,100
Tennessee – 8 5,000 1,400 1,700
Tennessee – 9 9,400 1,800 2,600
Texas – 1 6,800 1,500 1,700
Texas – 2 5,200 1,500 1,800
Texas – 3 5,200 1,100 1,400
Texas – 4 4,200 800 900
Texas – 5 4,200 900 1,000
Texas – 6 5,000 1,400 1,600
Texas – 7 3,300 300 400
Texas – 8 3,400 – –
Texas – 9 5,200 600 900
Texas – 10 5,000 900 1,000
Texas – 11 10,200 4,700 5,800
Texas – 12 9,000 3,100 3,600
Texas – 13 9,700 3,300 4,000
Texas – 14 5,000 1,100 1,300
Texas – 15 5,900 1,900 2,200
Texas – 16 14,000 4,800 5,600
Texas – 17 4,600 1,500 1,600
Texas – 18 7,100 1,200 1,400
Texas – 19 5,400 1,000 1,500
Texas – 20 9,800 4,300 5,000
Texas – 21 9,500 4,000 4,800
Texas – 22 4,300 700 1,000
Texas – 23 15,500 7,500 8,500
Texas – 24 4,500 1,200 1,200
Texas – 25 8,300 1,700 2,000
Texas – 26 4,800 1,200 1,300
Texas – 27 8,000 2,700 3,000
Texas – 28 10,400 4,100 4,900
Texas – 29 3,200 600 600
Texas – 30 7,500 1,800 2,200
Texas – 31 8,300 3,900 4,400
Texas – 32 4,600 1,000 1,100
Texas – 33 3,800 700 800
Texas – 34 7,000 1,500 1,700
Texas – 35 8,600 2,900 3,600
Texas – 36 4,500 900 1,000
Texas – 37 5,100 – –
Texas – 38 3,100 600 700
Utah – 1 18,300 4,400 5,200
Utah – 2 8,100 1,400 1,600
Utah – 3 4,400 700 800
Utah – 4 4,300 1,000 1,000
Vermont – 1 5,500 1,200 1,600
Virginia – 1 13,100 5,800 6,400
Virginia – 2 21,200 11,100 12,500
Virginia – 3 20,500 9,100 10,500
Virginia – 4 13,000 4,100 4,600
Virginia – 5 7,500 2,000 2,200
Virginia – 6 7,500 1,500 2,000
Virginia – 7 38,400 17,300 19,800
Virginia – 8 50,100 11,100 13,400
Virginia – 9 4,800 1,000 1,300
Virginia – 10 23,600 7,500 8,900
Virginia – 11 35,800 8,200 10,000
Washington – 1 3,500 800 1,000
Washington – 2 5,500 1,500 1,800
Washington – 3 7,000 1,900 2,300
Washington – 4 9,600 1,900 2,400
Washington – 5 8,400 2,500 3,000
Washington – 6 18,700 6,800 8,000
Washington – 7 4,100 800 900
Washington – 8 5,500 1,700 1,900
Washington – 9 6,400 1,500 1,600
Washington – 10 9,700 4,800 5,800
West Virginia – 1 7,100 2,200 2,500
West Virginia – 2 15,800 3,300 4,000
Wisconsin – 1 4,800 – –
Wisconsin – 2 4,000 – –
Wisconsin – 3 4,300 1,400 1,600
Wisconsin – 4 2,900 – –
Wisconsin – 5 3,500 – –
Wisconsin – 6 2,400 300 400
Wisconsin – 7 3,500 700 900
Wisconsin – 8 3,600 400 600
Wyoming – 1 8,100 2,400 2,800

Notes: Values marked “-” are unavailable because of sample size constraints or because their value is less than 100. Congressional Districts are for the 118th Congress; values for Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, New York are omitted due to redistricting for the 119th Congress.

Source: Analysis of the American Community Survey, Current Employment Statistics, FedScope, and Geocorr.

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Methodology

This analysis reweights the American Community Survey (ACS) public-use microdata to match external sources for the total counts of federal government employment and shares of veterans among federal workers. Without reweighting, the tabulations from the ACS would overreport the number of federal government workers and underreport the share of veterans in federal government employment. 

First, I construct congressional district identifiers in the five-year 2019–2023 American Community Survey microdata provided by IPUMS-USA by allocating the public-use microdata area identifiers to congressional districts using the population allocation provided by Geocorr 2022. Then, I reweight the non-United States Postal Service (USPS) federal government sample to match the distribution of broad age, education, gender, veteran, and race categories in federal employment tabulations provided by FedScope. With these data, I calculate veteran and veteran spouse shares of federal employment within each congressional district and then multiply the shares by previously published estimates of total federal government employment by congressional district available here. The latter source of data are Census published tabulations from the 2023 ACS of federal government employment, uniformly scaled to match January 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates for total federal government employment. The tables suppress veteran counts when the ACS sample size for federal employment is less than 400, or when the weighted count itself is less than 100. All values are rounded to the nearest hundred.

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