A Trump administration spokesperson said more than 40,000 federal employees had taken the buyout and the number is "growing."

Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are bracing for layoffs across the vast public health agency, as Donald Trump ’s administration instructs federal health officials to rank their essential workers and those who are deemed less essential.

The reported buyouts are for below the typical annual attrition rate for the federal government. More than 100,000 federal workers leave every year.