UPDATE: The federal government has launched a significant wave of layoffs, impacting approximately 4,200 employees across multiple agencies as the government shutdown continues. This alarming development was confirmed late Friday by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to a legal challenge from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents nearly 800,000 workers.
The layoffs hit the Treasury Department hardest, with nearly 1,500 employees affected, including around 1,300 workers from the IRS, according to reports from Bloomberg. The Health and Human Services Department also faced substantial cuts, with OMB revealing that up to 1,200 employees would lose their jobs. Among those terminated were dozens from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including approximately 70 disease detectives and staff from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security notified 176 workers from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of their layoffs, as reported by PBS. Other agencies experiencing cuts include Education (446 layoffs), Housing and Urban Development (442), Commerce (315), Energy (187), and the Environmental Protection Agency (20-30).
This information emerged shortly after White House budget chief Russ Vought announced via X that “the RIFs [reductions in force] have begun.” In response, the AFGE quickly filed a motion requesting a court to halt these layoffs, arguing that the OMB lacks the authority to proceed under the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits the federal government from incurring new expenses during a shutdown.
These layoffs will not take effect for another 30 to 60 days, as outlined by federal guidance from the Washington Post. However, an unnamed senior administration official indicated that further layoffs could follow, escalating concerns among federal employees.
The government entered a shutdown on October 1, 2023, after Congress failed to agree on a new spending plan. As of now, there is no indication that negotiations between Republicans and Democrats will lead to a resolution before the Senate’s next vote on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has publicly stated that his administration is leveraging the shutdown to initiate layoffs of federal employees, claiming that these cuts align with the interests of the Democrats, whom he holds responsible for the impasse.
As this situation develops, affected employees and their families face uncertainty, and the broader implications for government services loom large. Observers are urged to stay tuned for further updates as conditions evolve.