The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal workers in an effort to pressure Democrats amid the ongoing government shutdown. The RIFs have begun, White House Office of Management Director Russell Vought announced in a post on X on Friday morning, referring to an acronym for reductions in force. A spokesman for his office confirmed the cuts had started and were substantial. Their size and scope began coming into focus later on Friday, when the administration disclosed seven agencies had started laying off more than 4,000 workers.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the shutdown to further his long-held goal of reducing the federal workforce. By law, the federal government must give its workers at least 30-days notice that it is laying them off. Following Vought's tweet, major departments such as Treasury and Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed they were issuing notices to employees. But exact details were scarce.
Two major unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO, filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Vought's announced plans to carry out layoffs during the shutdown. The unions claim it is disgraceful for the administration to use the government shutdown as a pretext to fire thousands of workers who provide essential services.
According to the filing, more than a quarter of the cuts will be made at the Treasury Department, impacting approximately 1,446 employees. Meanwhile, HHS is notifying between 1,100 and 1,200 employees, with additional layoffs slated for the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development,
Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security, affecting hundreds of more employees.
Current shutdown impacts roughly 40% of the federal workforce, which translates to around 750,000 employees, many of whom if furloughed will likely receive back-pay once the shutdown ends. However, for those within the Trump administration, this moment presents an opportunity to make strategic cuts and streamline government operations, fulfilling a long-term priority of budget chief Russell Vought. Prior to the shutdown, agencies were instructed to prepare for potential layoffs, indicating that this was a planned move rather than an impulsive reaction to the ongoing budgetary crisis.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the shutdown to further his long-held goal of reducing the federal workforce. By law, the federal government must give its workers at least 30-days notice that it is laying them off. Following Vought's tweet, major departments such as Treasury and Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed they were issuing notices to employees. But exact details were scarce.
Two major unions, the American Federation of Government Employees and AFL-CIO, filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Vought's announced plans to carry out layoffs during the shutdown. The unions claim it is disgraceful for the administration to use the government shutdown as a pretext to fire thousands of workers who provide essential services.
According to the filing, more than a quarter of the cuts will be made at the Treasury Department, impacting approximately 1,446 employees. Meanwhile, HHS is notifying between 1,100 and 1,200 employees, with additional layoffs slated for the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development,
Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security, affecting hundreds of more employees.
Current shutdown impacts roughly 40% of the federal workforce, which translates to around 750,000 employees, many of whom if furloughed will likely receive back-pay once the shutdown ends. However, for those within the Trump administration, this moment presents an opportunity to make strategic cuts and streamline government operations, fulfilling a long-term priority of budget chief Russell Vought. Prior to the shutdown, agencies were instructed to prepare for potential layoffs, indicating that this was a planned move rather than an impulsive reaction to the ongoing budgetary crisis.
