Overview

• The current caseload is about 35,000 retirements, an 18% increase from 2024, according to OPM.
• OPM Director Scott Kupor expressed confidence the agency can clear the backlog and outlined efforts to improve processing efficiency.
• Agency employees describe operational disruption, citing loss of strategic direction, gaps in institutional knowledge, and difficulties backfilling critical roles.
• Reporting ties the surge to rising resignations, buyouts and early retirements alongside mass layoffs under the Trump administration.
• The ongoing government shutdown is prolonging retirement processing and will be a huge burden, an OPM employee said.