Tariff turmoil could undercut Trump's buyout offers to federal workers

FILE PHOTO: Labor union members hold placards on the day of a rally in support of federal workers during a rush hour protest outside the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A host of U.S. federal agencies have unveiled fresh buyout offers to slash the federal workforce, renewing the voluntary program that preceded the first wave of mass firings led by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

The Treasury Department, Defense Department and the Office of Personnel Management, the federal human-resources agency, are among agencies unveiling a new version of the "deferred resignation program" in recent days. The offer gives workers the chance to go on leave with pay until September before formally exiting their roles.