Chaos, Anger As Federal Workers Face Mass Layoffs Under Trump Administration

The sweeping effort to downsize the government workforce impacted employees from Michigan to Florida as agencies began issuing layoff notices.

Many workers were stunned to learn their positions were being terminated, raising questions about the administration's approach to reducing bureaucracy.

In some cases, employees who had agreed to deferred resignation deals, allowing them to be paid until September 30 if they voluntarily quit, still received layoff notices.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) acknowledged that some notices were issued in error and confirmed that the buyout agreements would be honored.

“This has been slash and burn,” said Nicholas Detter, a natural resource specialist in Kansas who was fired via email.

Detter criticized the administration for not considering the impact on employees and the communities they serve.

The White House and OPM declined to specify how many probationary workers, typically those with less than a year on the job, have been dismissed.
As of March 2024, OPM data showed 220,000 federal employees were in probationary status.

The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s broader initiative to reduce the size of the federal workforce, led by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.

An executive order signed by Trump called for “large-scale reductions” after an initial voluntary buyout program attracted only 75,000 participants.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the dismissal of over 1,000 employees, including researchers in cancer treatment and opioid addiction.
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1,300 probationary workers, nearly one-tenth of the workforce, are being laid off.

Brooke Rollins, the new Agriculture Secretary, confirmed that layoffs in her agency “will be forthcoming,” adding, “Clearly, it’s a new day.”

Some employees who accepted buyouts were also laid off unexpectedly.

Labor unions, including the National Treasury Employees Union, have filed lawsuits challenging the terminations.

Doreen Greenwald, president of NTEU, warned that firing probationary workers would “devastate agency missions and government operations.”

The advocacy group Democracy Forward also filed a complaint, seeking an investigation into potential violations of federal personnel practices.

Protests erupted outside the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in Washington, with demonstrators decrying the job cuts.

“They’re picking us off, one by one,” said a federal contractor who declined to be named.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski criticized the layoffs, stating on social media that “indiscriminate workforce cuts aren’t efficient and won’t fix the federal budget.”

Despite the large-scale layoffs, experts say the cost savings will likely be minimal.

The Congressional Budget Office reports that federal worker compensation costs about $270 billion annually, mostly for defense, homeland security, and veterans’ services.

Economists warn that mass layoffs could negatively impact monthly jobs reports, potentially showing a slowdown or decline in hiring.

Martha Gimbel, executive director of the Budget Lab at Yale University, noted that government contractors could also face job losses.

David Rice, a disabled Army paratrooper who was working at the Department of Energy, said the layoffs would harm communities.

“We’re just out here trying to do something that we actually believe in, that matters,” he said. “I really believe that we’re actually out there helping people.”