The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is shifting bank examiners to help process a surge in bank-charter applications, leaving gaps in examination teams as the regulator operates with a workforce more than 30% smaller than it had before the Trump administration’s staffing reductions.

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Examiners have been asked to review charter and merger applications alongside the agency’s licensing specialists, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. The OCC has not had to cancel or delay examinations because of the staffing constraints, but the reassignments have made gaps in its supervisory ranks more noticeable.

The OCC has lost more than 1,000 employees since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025 through retirements, buyouts and layoffs. The agency had approximately 2,600 employees as of August, according to Office of Personnel Management data. Although the reductions did not specifically target examiners, many have retired or otherwise left the agency.

The staffing pressure comes as Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould and the Trump administration prioritize approving new bank charters. The OCC received applications from at least 50 firms between the beginning of 2025 and the end of October, compared with one application in 2024 and five in 2023.

The agency has historically invited examiners and attorneys to volunteer for charter reviews, which can involve assessing applicants’ plans for cybersecurity, capital, liquidity and regulatory compliance.

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