President Donald Trump recently sparked controversy by defending his administration’s mass dismissal of thousands of federal workers through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. In remarks made to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump alleged that many of the terminated employees were underperforming and lacked dedication to their jobs. However, these accusations came without any supporting evidence and directly conflict with years of data showing that federal workers are often among the most hardworking in the nation.
Research and surveys paint a very different picture from Trump’s claims. A comprehensive analysis conducted over the past decade by the American Community Survey, which reviewed the work habits of 13 million employees, revealed that federal workers consistently outperformed their private sector peers. In terms of hours worked, government employees—especially those in public service roles—regularly went beyond the standard 40-hour work week. For instance, armed service members averaged 48.4 hours per week, postal workers put in around 41.6 hours, and other civil servants met the same weekly average. This stands in contrast to private sector workers, who logged about 39.4 hours per week on average.
Further breaking down the data, the study showed that federal workers were more likely to maintain longer work hours. Among military personnel, a staggering 94% worked at least 40 hours per week. Similarly, 87% of postal service employees and 91% of other federal workers exceeded the 40-hour threshold. By comparison, only 74.4% of private sector workers regularly put in that amount of time. These figures strongly suggest that the federal workforce’s commitment and work ethic far surpass the negative characterization offered by Trump.
Adding to the controversy is the fact that a significant number of those laid off are military veterans—people the Trump administration and the Republican Party had vowed to support during the 2024 presidential campaign. Reports indicate that nearly 30% of the terminations involved veterans, raising questions about whether these job cuts align with the promises made to take care of those who have served the country. Many former federal employees have spoken out, disputing the narrative of incompetence and expressing shock at their sudden dismissals despite positive performance reviews.
For example, Michael Slattery, a former U.S. Geological Survey scientist, revealed that his termination letter cited performance issues despite his documented record of strong work. Donny Newsom, who previously worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described his firing as a heartbreaking end to his commitment to public service after his Navy career. Similarly, James Stancil, a former Veterans Affairs worker, shared his disbelief over his dismissal, still holding out hope that a mistake had been made. These personal stories underscore the human toll of the administration’s sweeping job cuts and challenge the claims of widespread inefficiency within the federal workforce.
In light of the data and the experiences shared by those affected, the suggestion that the fired workers were unproductive appears increasingly baseless. The narrative emerging from both statistical evidence and personal testimony strongly indicates that the federal employees targeted in this purge were, in many cases, dedicated and hardworking individuals. As this situation continues to unfold, it raises broader questions about the motivations behind these dismissals and the future of public service in the United States.