How many federal employees are there in Colorado?
DENVER (KDVR) — As President Donald Trump's administration intensifies efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, masses of federal employees are being laid off across the country, including hundreds in Colorado.
Trump's Executive Order 14210, Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative, outlines a reform of the federal workforce. It warns agencies across the country to prepare for large-scale layoffs and prioritizes offices with functions that are not mandated by statute or other law.
The order includes all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, all 'initiatives, components, or operations that my Administration suspends or closes' and all employees who are not typically designated as essential as provided in contingency plans. It also includes exceptions for functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement and law enforcement.
'Should not be happening': IRS workers in Denver let go in Trump administration's mass layoffs Thursday
The Trump administration also announced buyouts for federal employees at the end of January, offering about eight months of salary for those who voluntarily left by Feb. 6.
Thousands of Internal Revenue Service employees nationwide were laid off in late February, impacting over 100 people in Colorado. Additionally, some 3,400 U.S. Forest Service employees were laid off en masse earlier in February. It's unclear how many of those employees are from Colorado.
Colorado is home to tens of thousands of federal employees. In a press release Tuesday, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment said there are roughly 57,000 federal workers in Colorado.
Colorado has the 16th most federal workers of any state, accounting for 1.8% of all federal civilian employees, according to a Congressional Research Service report from March 2024.
District of Columbia 162,144
California 147,487
Virginia 144,483
Maryland 142,876
Texas 129,738
Florida 94,014
Georgia 79,686
Pennsylvania 66,079
Washington 56,772
Ohio 55,487
New York 53,600
North Carolina 51,013
Illinois 44,784
Oklahoma 41,867
Alabama 40,692
Colorado 39,910
How to contact your congressman or congresswoman if you live in Colorado
On Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis in a press release said that the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the Statewide Workforce System are prepared to support Coloradans who are impacted by the restructuring and job cuts.
'Together with the Statewide Workforce System and our Unemployment Insurance Division, we are prepared to help Colorado's skilled and competent federal workforce navigate any potential period of joblessness,' said CDLE Executive Director Joe Barela. 'CDLE is committed to supporting individuals with a variety of workforce development support to ensure all Coloradans can continue to thrive and prosper.'
Florissant Fossil Beds to be closed two days a week
The layoffs have already made an impact in Colorado, with the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument announcing that it will be closed for two days each week due to short staffing.
National parks cutting hours, services amid federal layoffs
About 400 National Park Service workers took the federal buyout, and about 1,000 more were laid off, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. John Garder, a representative for the National Parks Conservation Association Government, told NewsNation that people should prepare to lower their standards when visiting national parks this year due to the layoffs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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