U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Has Lost 36% of Its Workforce Since 2024

NewsData.io · United States · Sep 5, 2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has shed roughly 3,600 employees since 2024, dropping from 9,957 to 6,333 total workers — a 36% decline — according to FOIA data obtained by the Center for Biological Diversity. The cuts include 1,900 scientists such as biologists and fire managers, with steep reductions across multiple states including Montana (−40%), Colorado (−41%), and Idaho (−35%). The downsizing reflects the broader federal workforce contraction under the Trump administration and represents a meaningful signal for staffing firms that place environmental, scientific, and government-contract professionals, as displaced federal workers enter the private labor market.