THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean KilpatrickAbout 10,000 federal public servants have applied for the government's early retirement program, launched as part of a plan to cut the number of bureaucrats. In December, the government began sending letters with information on the program to about 68,000 public servants who may have been eligible. Under the program, the latest possible retirement date for public servants is Jan. 20, 2027. The size of the public service has decreased by more than 12,600 people over the past year. Treasury Board data shows there were 357,965 employees at the end of March 2025, compared to 345,282 at the end of March 2026.