OPM launches Federal Workforce Data site (data.opm.gov) to replace FedScope and expand public workforce data

The Federal Workforce Data (FWD) site at data.opm.gov is OPM’s new public platform for statistics on the federal civilian workforce. It replaces the older FedScope tool with a modern, question‑driven interface that offers:

• Interactive visuals organized around common workforce questions
• Downloadable, record‑level datasets
• Routine monthly refreshes of EHRI (Enterprise Human Resources Integration) data
• Public information about data completeness and validation checks
• New content areas such as retirement‑eligibility metrics, use of telework/remote work and administrative leave, performance rating distributions, and federal recruitment data from USAJOBS.

Compared with FedScope, FWD is designed to be easier for non‑technical users, provides more frequent and predictable updates, exposes data‑quality information, and adds new workforce metrics, while omitting some sensitive demographic items that FedScope used to display.

FedScope was OPM’s legacy online system (launched in 2000) for accessing and analyzing federal workforce statistics drawn from the EHRI-Statistical Data Mart. It provided data cubes and visualizations on employment, accessions, separations, and demographics for use by agencies, researchers, the media, and the public.

OPM decided to replace it because FedScope had become outdated: users reported difficulty navigating it, and data updates were often delayed by six months or more. The new FWD site is intended to fix those problems by offering a modern interface, predictable monthly updates, and better transparency about data quality and missing files.

FWD is explicitly intended for both government users and the broader public:

• Non‑technical users (including journalists and general public) via guided, interactive visuals organized around common questions.
• Analysts and researchers via downloadable, record‑level EHRI Status and Dynamics datasets designed for deeper analysis.
• Federal agencies and HR/human‑capital staff who rely on EHRI data for workforce planning and compliance and now get clearer information on data quality and completeness.

OPM’s own description emphasizes that FWD was built to “better meet the needs of the Federal government and the public for timely and reliable federal workforce data” and that the raw datasets are “designed to provide open access for analysts, researchers, and data practitioners.”

“Predictable monthly data updates” means that OPM has moved federal workforce data onto a regular, month‑by‑month publication cycle for the EHRI-based datasets and related indicators:

• FWD’s release notes and data‑quality page state that EHRI Status, Dynamics, and Payroll data are released on a regular monthly schedule, after agencies submit files and OPM completes validation.
• The Data Downloads page is marked “Updated monthly” and shows new record‑level employment, accessions, and separations files for each month (e.g., November 2025 published January 5, 2026).
• Release notes also show that USAJOBS job‑announcement data used in recruitment visuals are updated with each monthly release.

However, OPM notes that if some agencies submit EHRI files late, their records may only appear in a later release. The documentation does not promise that every possible future dataset will always update monthly—only that the core EHRI/USAJOBS content on FWD follows a routine monthly release cycle, with the most recent and next expected release dates published in the “Data Sources” section.

The new data elements on FWD are detailed enough for serious analysis but are published in aggregated or de‑identified form to avoid exposing individuals:

• Retirement eligibility: In the Demographics analytics section, retirement information is presented as group‑level metrics (for example, shares of employees who are already eligible or within certain windows of eligibility) by dimensions such as department/agency, occupation groups, and other standard EHRI attributes. The underlying EHRI Status data use service‑computation and related fields, but what is exposed publicly are aggregated distributions, not each person’s exact eligibility date.
• Telework and remote work: FWD’s Location and Compensation/Leave visuals summarize participation in telework and remote work and the use of related hours, drawing on EHRI Payroll data. These are shown as rates or totals by agency, location, and similar categories, again as aggregated statistics.
• Administrative leave and performance ratings: In the Compensation, Performance & Leave section, FWD shows distributions of performance ratings and use of administrative leave by agency, occupation group, and other standard groupings.
• Granularity limits: Public visuals are organized by high‑level organizational (department/agency/sub‑agency), occupational, and geographic groupings. The record‑level raw datasets available on the Data Downloads page include many EHRI fields, but OPM explicitly notes that some fields are redacted for sensitive individual records and that no personally identifiable information is included. Together with OPM’s Data Release Policy, this means fine‑grained breakdowns that could reveal specific individuals (for example, tiny sub‑units or unique job combinations) are not provided.

Overall, the new fields are granular enough for analysis by agency, occupation, location, and similar categories, but are not released at a person‑identifiable level.

OPM protects privacy on FWD by combining several safeguards:

• No PII in public files: The Data Downloads page states that the record‑level EHRI Status and Dynamics datasets “do not include personally-identifiable information (PII), and some fields are redacted for sensitive individual records to comply with OPM’s data release policy.”
• Aggregation and suppression: Public‑facing visuals show aggregated statistics (for example, by department, agency, occupation group, or geography) rather than individual records. Under OPM’s government‑wide Data Release Policy, workforce statistics are only released at levels where individual employees cannot reasonably be identified; small cells or combinations that pose re‑identification risk are suppressed or modified.
• Governance under privacy law: The FWD site links to OPM’s Data Release Policy, Privacy Impact Assessment, and relevant System of Record Notice under “Policy & Guidance,” indicating that the publication of EHRI-based data is governed by the Privacy Act and related regulations. EHRI and its Central Employee Record are maintained under OPM/GOVT‑1, a Privacy Act system of records, with explicit rules for statistical use and public release.

In practice, this means FWD publishes only de‑identified, policy‑screened data, with additional redaction or suppression where needed to prevent disclosure of personally identifiable or highly sensitive information.

Yes. OPM has migrated historical FedScope data into FWD:

• The January 2026 FWD release notes state that “Data previously released on FedScope (from the EHRI Status and Dynamics files, going back to FY 2005) is now available on FWD through consistent structured monthly text files.”
• Time‑series visuals on FWD generally extend back to FY 2015, while the raw datasets available on the Data Downloads page cover FY 2005 to the present.

So, while FedScope as a front‑end is being replaced, its historical EHRI-based workforce data from 2005 onward are preserved and accessible on the new FWD platform.