Fedweek

Newly released OPM figures show little sign of the “retirement wave” that has long been predicted to roil the federal workplace as baby boom employees reach retirement eligibility. The data show that there were 65,107 non-postal executive branch retirements in fiscal 2015, which ended last September, down by about 3,600 from the fiscal 2014 number, by 150 from 2013, and by about 4,200 from fiscal 2012, the peak year of the last five. The 2015 number was about 900 above that of 2011, the lowest in that time. The same pattern exists in the most closely-watched type of retirement, voluntary retirement (the other categories are early-outs, typically offered during downsizing; disability; and “other,” mainly mandatory retirement required of law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers). The 2015 number for voluntary retirements was 58,097, down by about 2,100 from 2014–which was the peak year of the last five–and also below the 2012 and 2013 numbers (although about 3,100 above 2011). The numbers exclude the self-funding USPS, whose retirement numbers have been elevated in recent years as it offers early retirements in order to downsize in reaction to financial losses. The retirement wave expectation has been cited as an opportunity for advancement for employees in their early and mid-career stages as vacancies open up. It also has driven a variety of personnel policies, including enactment of phased retirement authority and an emphasis on succession planning and career development.