Trump's push to cut federal jobs has modest impact, mostly in defenseWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s campaign to shrink the “bloated federal bureaucracy” so far has made a small dent in the federal  workforce, and that largely because of a decline in civilian defense jobs. Days after his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump ordered a hiring freeze later replaced with an order for federal agencies to cut staff immediately, and in March he proposed a 2018 budget that sought to shift $54 billion to the military from other departments. However, federal civilian jobs declined around 6,000 in the first nine months of this year, or just 0.3 percent of 2.1 million such jobs tracked by the Office of Personnel Management, according to Reuters calculations based on the latest OPM data published in late October. The White House Office of Management and Budget declined to comment on the overall drop in federal employment or the mix of job gains and losses across agencies. The Office issued in April the order for agencies to start near-term staffing cuts and to submit plans for longer-term reductions by September. Trump has not detailed how much “fat” he aims to cut, but spoke of “billions and billions of dollars” of government waste and his aim to shrink the “bloated federal bureaucracy” while preparing his budget proposals in March. Independent watchdogs agree the federal government could be made more efficient, with Congress’s Government Accountability Office estimating in April that overlap and duplication lead to “tens of billions” of dollars in unnecessary spending.  Before Trump, Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush have all spearheaded various efforts to streamline government bureaucracy. David Lewis, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University, said this year’s numbers showed that Trump’s executive orders had limited power to reshape the federal bureaucracy. Ultimately, the Congress controlled the budgets and had the biggest sway over agencies’ staffing, said Lewis, whose research has largely focused on executive branch politics and public administration. The White House has said agencies’ longer-term workforce reduction plans will serve to develop Trump’s 2019 budget proposal.  The overall decline in federal staffing this year is largely due to a roughly 9,500 drop at the Department of Defense to about 731,000, a 1.3 percent decline, even though Trump’s budget proposal envisaged small increases between 2016 and 2018 in employment measured by hours worked. Pentagon spokesman Dave Eastburn said hiring was slow during the White House-ordered freeze, but exemptions allowed recruitment for mission-critical positions and military readiness was never affected. He described the decrease in staffing this year as “well within historical norms.” In fact, the number of active-duty service personnel, which was exempt from the hiring freeze, grew by about 7,000 in the 12 months through September, according to Defense Department data.  Still, cuts in the civilian staff could push more work onto relatively expensive contractors and military officers, potentially raising costs over time, said Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog group.    “If we’re just cutting jobs to cut jobs then mistakes are likely to be made,” Amey said after reviewing Reuters’ calculations of OPM data.  Mallory Barg Bulman, a researcher at the Partnership for Public Service, a non-partisan nonprofit, said targeting the number of jobs in general was not the best way of improving how the bureaucracy works. “A hiring freeze is not the answer to making the government more effective,” said Barg Bulman. Instead, agencies should invest more in training to boost productivity, she said.  The OPM figures, which exclude the postal service and some smaller independent agencies, showed the declines were in part offset by staffing gains - totaling about 9,000 - at the homeland security and veterans affairs departments. Much of the gains were in divisions that control immigration and in medical care for former soldiers, areas Trump has identified as priorities. The Department of Veterans Affairs did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security said staffing increases owed to revised recruitment strategies as well as temporary hiring for hurricane relief efforts. Some staffing ups and downs at agencies are part of long-standing budget issues or seasonal factors. The Treasury Department lost staff largely due to budget cuts ordered by Congress in past years for its tax collection service, while the departments of interior and agriculture saw increases due to seasonal hiring. (This version of the story has been refiled to clarify description of the Partnership for Public Service in paragraph 15) politicsNews
trump push cut federal jobs modest impact mostly defensewashington reuters president donald trump campaign shrink bloated federal bureaucracy far made small dent federal workforce largely decline civilian defense jobs days inauguration trump ordered hiring freeze later replaced order federal agencies cut staff immediately march proposed budget sought shift billion military departments however federal civilian jobs declined around first nine months year percent million jobs tracked office personnel management according reuters calculations based latest opm data published late october the white house office management budget declined comment overall drop federal employment mix job gains losses across agencies the office issued april order agencies start staffing cuts submit plans reductions september trump detailed much fat aims cut spoke billions billions dollars government waste aim shrink bloated federal bureaucracy preparing budget proposals march independent watchdog agree federal government could made efficient congress government accountability office estimating april overlap duplication lead tens billions dollars unnecessary spending before trump democrats barack obama bill clinton republican george bush spearheaded various efforts streamline government bureaucracy david lewis political science professor vanderbilt university said year numbers showed trump executive orders limited power shape federal bureaucracy ultimately congress controlled budgets biggest sway agencies staffing said lewis whose research largely focused executive branch politics public administration the white house said agencies workforce reduction plans serve develop trump budget proposal the overall decline federal staffing year largely due roughly drop department defense percent decline even though trump budget proposal envisaged small increases employment measured hours worked pentagon spokesman dave eastern said hiring slow white freeze exemptions allowed recruitment positions military readiness never affected he described decrease staffing year well within historical in fact number service personnel exempt hiring freeze grew months september according defense department data still cuts civilian staff could push work onto relatively expensive contractors military officers potentially raising costs time said scott amy general counsel project government oversight watchdog group if cutting jobs cut jobs mistakes likely made amy said reviewing reuters calculations opm data mallory bar human researcher partnership public service nonprofit said targeting number jobs general best way improving bureaucracy works a hiring freeze answer making government effective said bar human instead agencies invest training boost productivity said the opm figures exclude postal service smaller independent agencies showed declines part offset staffing gains totaling homeland security veterans affairs departments much gains divisions control immigration medical care former soldiers areas trump identified priorities the department veterans affairs respond request comment a spokeswoman department homeland security said staffing increases owed revised recruitment strategies well temporary hiring hurricane relief efforts some staffing ups downs agencies part budget issues seasonal factors the treasury department lost staff largely due budget cuts ordered congress past years tax collection service departments interior agriculture saw increases due seasonal hiring this version story refined clarify description partnership public service paragraph politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Trump's push to cut federal jobs has modest impact, mostly in defenseWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s campaign to shrink the “bloated federal bureaucracy” so far has made a small dent in the federal  workforce, and that largely because of a decline in civilian defense jobs. Days after his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump ordered a hiring freeze later replaced with an order for federal agencies to cut staff immediately, and in March he proposed a 2018 budget that sought to shift $54 billion to the military from other departments. However, federal civilian jobs declined around 6,000 in the first nine months of this year, or just 0.3 percent of 2.1 million such jobs tracked by the Office of Personnel Management, according to Reuters calculations based on the latest OPM data published in late October. The White House Office of Management and Budget declined to comment on the overall drop in federal employment or the mix of job gains and losses across agencies. The Office issued in April the order for agencies to start near-term staffing cuts and to submit plans for longer-term reductions by September. Trump has not detailed how much “fat” he aims to cut, but spoke of “billions and billions of dollars” of government waste and his aim to shrink the “bloated federal bureaucracy” while preparing his budget proposals in March. Independent watchdogs agree the federal government could be made more efficient, with Congress’s Government Accountability Office estimating in April that overlap and duplication lead to “tens of billions” of dollars in unnecessary spending.  Before Trump, Democrats Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush have all spearheaded various efforts to streamline government bureaucracy. David Lewis, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University, said this year’s numbers showed that Trump’s executive orders had limited power to reshape the federal bureaucracy. Ultimately, the Congress controlled the budgets and had the biggest sway over agencies’ staffing, said Lewis, whose research has largely focused on executive branch politics and public administration. The White House has said agencies’ longer-term workforce reduction plans will serve to develop Trump’s 2019 budget proposal.  The overall decline in federal staffing this year is largely due to a roughly 9,500 drop at the Department of Defense to about 731,000, a 1.3 percent decline, even though Trump’s budget proposal envisaged small increases between 2016 and 2018 in employment measured by hours worked. Pentagon spokesman Dave Eastburn said hiring was slow during the White House-ordered freeze, but exemptions allowed recruitment for mission-critical positions and military readiness was never affected. He described the decrease in staffing this year as “well within historical norms.” In fact, the number of active-duty service personnel, which was exempt from the hiring freeze, grew by about 7,000 in the 12 months through September, according to Defense Department data.  Still, cuts in the civilian staff could push more work onto relatively expensive contractors and military officers, potentially raising costs over time, said Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, a non-partisan watchdog group.    “If we’re just cutting jobs to cut jobs then mistakes are likely to be made,” Amey said after reviewing Reuters’ calculations of OPM data.  Mallory Barg Bulman, a researcher at the Partnership for Public Service, a non-partisan nonprofit, said targeting the number of jobs in general was not the best way of improving how the bureaucracy works. “A hiring freeze is not the answer to making the government more effective,” said Barg Bulman. Instead, agencies should invest more in training to boost productivity, she said.  The OPM figures, which exclude the postal service and some smaller independent agencies, showed the declines were in part offset by staffing gains - totaling about 9,000 - at the homeland security and veterans affairs departments. Much of the gains were in divisions that control immigration and in medical care for former soldiers, areas Trump has identified as priorities. The Department of Veterans Affairs did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman at the Department of Homeland Security said staffing increases owed to revised recruitment strategies as well as temporary hiring for hurricane relief efforts. Some staffing ups and downs at agencies are part of long-standing budget issues or seasonal factors. The Treasury Department lost staff largely due to budget cuts ordered by Congress in past years for its tax collection service, while the departments of interior and agriculture saw increases due to seasonal hiring. (This version of the story has been refiled to clarify description of the Partnership for Public Service in paragraph 15) politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: trump push cut federal jobs modest impact mostly defensewashington reuters president donald trump campaign shrink bloated federal bureaucracy far made small dent federal workforce largely decline civilian defense jobs days inauguration trump ordered hiring freeze later replaced order federal agencies cut staff immediately march proposed budget sought shift billion military departments however federal civilian jobs declined around first nine months year percent million jobs tracked office personnel management according reuters calculations based latest opm data published late october the white house office management budget declined comment overall drop federal employment mix job gains losses across agencies the office issued april order agencies start staffing cuts submit plans reductions september trump detailed much fat aims cut spoke billions billions dollars government waste aim shrink bloated federal bureaucracy preparing budget proposals march independent watchdog agree federal government could made efficient congress government accountability office estimating april overlap duplication lead tens billions dollars unnecessary spending before trump democrats barack obama bill clinton republican george bush spearheaded various efforts streamline government bureaucracy david lewis political science professor vanderbilt university said year numbers showed trump executive orders limited power shape federal bureaucracy ultimately congress controlled budgets biggest sway agencies staffing said lewis whose research largely focused executive branch politics public administration the white house said agencies workforce reduction plans serve develop trump budget proposal the overall decline federal staffing year largely due roughly drop department defense percent decline even though trump budget proposal envisaged small increases employment measured hours worked pentagon spokesman dave eastern said hiring slow white freeze exemptions allowed recruitment positions military readiness never affected he described decrease staffing year well within historical in fact number service personnel exempt hiring freeze grew months september according defense department data still cuts civilian staff could push work onto relatively expensive contractors military officers potentially raising costs time said scott amy general counsel project government oversight watchdog group if cutting jobs cut jobs mistakes likely made amy said reviewing reuters calculations opm data mallory bar human researcher partnership public service nonprofit said targeting number jobs general best way improving bureaucracy works a hiring freeze answer making government effective said bar human instead agencies invest training boost productivity said the opm figures exclude postal service smaller independent agencies showed declines part offset staffing gains totaling homeland security veterans affairs departments much gains divisions control immigration medical care former soldiers areas trump identified priorities the department veterans affairs respond request comment a spokeswoman department homeland security said staffing increases owed revised recruitment strategies well temporary hiring hurricane relief efforts some staffing ups downs agencies part budget issues seasonal factors the treasury department lost staff largely due budget cuts ordered congress past years tax collection service departments interior agriculture saw increases due seasonal hiring this version story refined clarify description partnership public service paragraph politicsnews