A recent uptick in the number of federal employees filing for retirement, has fueled renewed speculation of a governmentwide brain-drain as droves of senior employees start heading for the exits.

In fiscal 2012, 69,215 federal employees put in for retirement. That’s well above the number who retired in either of the previous two years, but it’s hardly unprecedented. In fiscal 2007, almost as many employees — 62,366 — filed for retirement. In fact, in each of the three years between 2005 and 2007, retirements topped 60,000, according to OPM data.

In the chart below, track the ebb and tide of federal retirements over the years.

This chart is part of Federal News Radio’s special series Retirement Conundrum.

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