{"id":2403857,"date":"2025-02-18T15:28:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T20:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thousands-of-federal-employees-lose-jobs-as-doge-axes-workforce\/"},"modified":"2025-02-18T15:30:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T20:30:36","slug":"thousands-of-federal-employees-lose-jobs-as-doge-axes-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thousands-of-federal-employees-lose-jobs-as-doge-axes-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands of federal employees lose jobs as DOGE axes workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthousands-of-federal-employees-lose-jobs-as-doge-axes-workforce%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2403857&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a significant workforce reduction, over 10,000 federal employees have been\u2064 laid off as part of \u2062the \u2064Trump administration&#8217;s initiative to streamline goverment operations. The cuts\u2063 are part of\u200d a\u200c broader strategy to reduce federal spending,\u200b driven by an executive order from\u200c President\u200c Donald Trump and support from Elon Musk, who is \u2064associated with the Department of Government Efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>The layoffs \u200cpredominantly impact probationary \u2062employees and are seen as a continuation of a previous offer for deferred resignation, \u2063wich was accepted by around \u206375,000 workers.This reduction accounts for nearly \u200d4% of the federal workforce, substantially affecting \u200dvarious departments including Veterans Affairs, Energy, \u200dand Education.<\/p>\n<p>Critics, including lawmakers and\u200d affected employees, have raised\u2064 concerns about the implications of such extensive job cuts, especially \u200cin critical research areas\u2062 related to veterans&#8217; health. Additionally, many employees have faced confusion regarding their job status, with reports of individuals still receiving\u200c layoff notices despite having \u2062accepted resignations.<\/p>\n<p>Some members of Congress have expressed wariness about Musk\u2019s influence in the \u200cfederal sphere,\u2064 especially given the rapid pace of workforce\u200d reductions. Although the administration\u2064 maintains that the cuts are aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing waste,\u2062 the situation continues to foster public outcry and debates \u2062about budgeting and\u2063 employment practices in the federal government.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Thousands of federal employees lose their jobs as DOGE takes an ax to the workforce<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1997460\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Over 10,000 federal workers have been fired as part of the <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Trump administration<\/a>&lsquo;s plans for &ldquo;large-scale reductions&rdquo; in the government workforce, <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">and th<\/span>anks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-follows-radical-agenda-in-first-72-hours\/\" title=\"Biden Follows Radical Agenda In First 72 Hours\">executive order signed<\/a> by President&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a>, more are expected to be laid off in the coming hours.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The firings and layoffs come as Trump and Elon Musk, head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-government-efficiency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Department of Government Efficiency<\/a>, continue to slash agency budgets and overhaul entire departments as a cost-cutting method to reduce spending within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-leadership-stands-up-for-female-law-enforcement-agents-following-criticism-of-secret-service\/\" title=\"DHS leadership stands up for female law enforcement agents following criticism of Secret Service\">federal government &#038;mdash<\/a>; a campaign promise the president has leaned heavily on since taking office almost a month ago.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">The Office of Personal Management ordered agencies to issue layoff notices to probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/anger-chaos-confusion-take-hold-federal-workers-face-mass-layoffs\/15912598\/\" target=\"_blank\">8 p.m. Tuesday<\/a>. Some employees who received a layoff notice had accepted the Trump administration&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-sends-federal-employees-a-retirement-offer-that-will-be-tough-to-refuse\/\" title=\"Trump Sends Federal ... a Retirement ... That Will Be Tough to Refuse\">deferred resignation offer<\/a>, which allowed<\/span> them to be paid until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit.<\/p>\n<p>The layoff notices are the next step taken by the administration to downsize the workforce after only 75,000 workers accepted the deferred resignation offer. The total job cuts amount to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/02\/15\/federal-layoffs-firings-2025\/78761259007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">nearly 4%<\/a> of the federal government&rsquo;s 2.3 million workers, and around 220,000 federal workers had less than one year&rsquo;s experience, according to March 2024 data from the OPM.<\/p>\n<p>Among those laid off include employees who worked in the Veterans Affairs, Energy, Interior, and Education departments, as well as workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/katiemsandlin\/status\/1890546465681895588?s=46&amp;t=DZfHmZ9RYj2IBXl0_dptLw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">National Institutes of Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Around 1,200 to 2,000 workers in the Energy Department, including those at the National Nuclear Security Administration, were terminated. Less than 0.5% of the NNSA workforce was dismissed, a spokesperson for the department told <em>USA Today<\/em>. Roughly 1,300 probational workers at the CDC, around 10% of the agency&rsquo;s workforce, were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/healthcare-pharmaceuticals\/cdc-lose-one-tenth-workforce-under-trump-administration-probationary-job-cuts-ap-2025-02-14\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">fired Friday<\/a>. At least 2,300 federal workers within the Interior Department were terminated.<\/p>\n<p>Over 1,000 employees were dismissed from the VA. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) claimed that these included researchers studying mental health, cancer treatments, alcohol and opioid withdrawal, and more.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This move will effectively mean the end of VA research as we know it in red and blue states,&rdquo; Murray said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.murray.senate.gov\/senator-murray-trump-must-reverse-firing-of-va-researchers-across-the-country-threatens-to-decimate-lifesaving-work-on-veterans-medical-care-prosthetics-and-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">statement<\/a> last week. &ldquo;Trump and Elon need to reverse course on this elimination of VA research positions immediately&mdash;this callous across-the-board firing threatens to decimate so much of the lifesaving research our veterans depend on.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The layoffs are affecting all states, from red Kansas to purple Michigan. Nicholas Detter, a probationary employee at the Agriculture Department, told ABC News he accepted the deferred resignation offer but <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7.com\/post\/anger-chaos-confusion-take-hold-federal-workers-face-mass-layoffs\/15912598\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">still received a layoff notice<\/a> effective immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple outlets have reported that dozens of employees have also been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/education\/2025\/02\/13\/doge-education-department-cuts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">put on administrative leave<\/a> as Trump and Musk seek to cull out any positions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Musk has called for the Trump administration to &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/elon-musk-doge-us-uae-6f7c0e5b43adfb4ec3c1f14a964f573c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"delete\">delete<\/a>&rdquo; entire agencies.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People take part in the &ldquo;No Kings Day&rdquo; protest on Presidents Day in support of federal workers and against recent actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, near the Capitol in Washington. The protest was organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for 50 Protests 50 States 1 Movement. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lawmakers and citizens have expressed concerns over <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Musk and DOGE&rsquo;s level of involvement in the federal government. Several states and groups of employees have&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3321881\/judge-skeptical-challenge-bar-musk-federal-data\/\" target=\"_blank\">filed lawsuits<\/a>&nbsp;against Musk personally or the Justice Department claiming unconstitutional overreach,<\/span> either with firings or access to data.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have leaned heavily into attacking Musk since the GOP trifecta took effect on Jan. 20, pitching the Tesla and SpaceX mogul as an unelected billionaire allowed too close to people&rsquo;s personal data. Musk is classified as a special government employee.<\/p>\n<p>While most Republicans have fallen in line behind Trump and praised Musk for his unflinching slashing of budgets and workforce, some have expressed concern over the rapid pace of firings and layoffs.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) posted to X that &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">indiscriminate workforce cuts aren&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t efficient and won&rsquo;t fix the federal budget,&rdquo; adding that her office has attempted to get answers but &ldquo;the response so far has been evasive and inadequate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The OPM did not respond to a request for comment by press time. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to offer a specific number of federal employees who were terminated, but she told reporters on Tuesday that DOGE is not making decisions and &ldquo;any cuts, any firings, any hirings, are at the discretion of the secretaries of these agencies.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Ultimately, President Trump is delivering on the promise he made to the American people to make this government more efficient and to cut back on the wasteful spending that we&rsquo;ve seen for far too long from our federal bureaucracy,&rdquo; Leavitt said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Mabinty Quarshie<\/em> <em>and Haisten Willis contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1997460\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1997460\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 10,000 federal employees have been terminated as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s workforce reduction plans<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2403858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25048702819772.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[50604,23466,46395,35969,38036],"class_list":["post-2403857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cryptocurrency-layoffs","tag-doge","tag-federal-employment","tag-job-loss","tag-workforce-reduction"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25048702819772.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2403857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2403857"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2403857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2403861,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2403857\/revisions\/2403861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2403858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2403857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2403857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2403857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}