Roughly 6 per cent of federal workers retire or resign in a typical year, according to the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.
The administration said earlier in the day that those who do not accept the buyout could still lose their jobs.
The White House has sought to identify workers hired within the last two years, who lack full civil-service protections and would be easier to fire.
It has also ordered agency officials to identify those appointed by Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden, who remain in civil-service jobs, as well as those who have received poor performance ratings.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House is planning to order the Food and Drug Administration and other health-care agencies to fire thousands of workers. The White House denied the report.
