National Nuclear Security Administration: Reductions to Federal Workforce

What GAO Found The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) oversees a $25 billion annual budget and approximately 70,000 management and operating contractor personnel to maintain the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and nuclear nonproliferation efforts. NNSA took steps to build its federal workforce to meet mission needs in 2024, with its workforce peaking at 1,991 early in fiscal year 2025. However, since then through the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, NNSA has reduced its federal workforce by 236 employees—or 11.9 percent. These reductions have impacted NNSA’s mission critical workforce, including occupations like nuclear engineers and contract specialists. Number of National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Federal Employees and Annual Appropriations, Fiscal Year (FY) 2023–FY 2026 Quarter (Q) 2 Note: The Federal Salaries and Expenses appropriation account funds the salaries, benefits, and other related expenses for most of NNSA’s federal workforce. The reduction of NNSA’s workforce occurred because of two primary reasons: (1) very limited hiring and (2) employee separations—primarily employees choosing to retire or resign. Hiring was limited during the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 through the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. Why GAO Did This Study NNSA—a separately organized agency within the Department of Energy (DOE)—has a current workload that is at its highest level since the Cold War as the agency oversees a $200 billion, 2-decades-long effort