"As federal agencies brace for the Trump administration's next round of slashing the U.S. government, recent staff departures are already raising concerns about whether the Census Bureau can continue producing reliable statistics for the country.

Like most other agencies, the bureau is under pressure from Trump officials to further shrink their workforce while keeping in place a hiring freeze. According to emails shared with NPR, agency staffers are facing a Thursday deadline for applications for early retirement and voluntary separation offers that may be followed by mass firings.

But current and former employees warn that the bureau — which for years has been dealing with the restrictions of short-term funding and staffing challenges — is under unique strain."