Countdown to quit: thousands of US federal workers accept Musk’s ‘buyout’ offer

More than 20,000 employees – about 1 per cent of the US federal workforce – have signed up for an offer to quit their jobs in exchange for a deferred resignation deal that would have taxpayers continue to pay their salaries through the end of September.

But those numbers are increasing every day, according to an official familiar with the data, and the Trump administration expects a spike in resignations as employees near Thursday’s deadline to accept the offer.

That target could be difficult to meet. There are nearly 2.3 million civilian federal employees, but perhaps half of those – including civilian defence and intelligence employees, postmen, law enforcement personnel and certain other sensitive positions – are ineligible for the offer.

However, the Central Intelligence Agency reportedly offered buyouts to its entire workforce on Tuesday, citing an aim to bring the agency in line with Trump’s priorities.

The US spy agency is also freezing the hiring of job applicants already given a conditional offer, the Wall Street Journal reported, quoting an aide to CIA Director John Ratcliffe.