RELATED January 29, 2026 test page January 26, 2026 Partnership for Public Service’s public comments on OPM’s “Streamlining Probationary and Trial Period Appeals” proposed rule January 21, 2026 At-Will Employment: What the Federal Government Can Learn from States Back to Reports Senior Executive Service, Retirement Trends Underscore the Importance of Succession Planning May 26, 2000 Members of the career Senior Executive Service (SES) are critical to the execution of agency missions and the effective management of federal programs. If a significant number of them were to retire, this would result in a loss of leadership continuity, institutional knowledge, and expertise. This report describes trends in retirement eligibility and in actual and projected retirements. Download (632k)