Washington: The Pentagon is set to cut up to 60,000 civilian jobs as part of a broad cost-reduction initiative, a senior defense official confirmed. However, fewer than 21,000 employees opted for voluntary resignations, falling significantly short of expectations.

The job cuts are part of the Department of Defense’s restructuring plan aimed at streamlining operations and reallocating resources.

To reach the goal of a 5% to 8% cut in a civilian workforce of more than 900,000, the official said the department aims to slash about 6,000 positions a month by simply not replacing workers who routinely leave.

A key concern is that service members may then be tapped to fill those civilian jobs. But the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide personnel details, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to ensure the cuts don't hurt military readiness.

The cuts are part of the broader effort by the Department of Government Efficiency Service, including billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk, to slash the federal workforce and dismantle U.S. agencies.