On Thursday, the newly-established US government, led by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, laid off over 9,500 employees across various federal agencies as part of their effort to radically reform America’s bureaucracy.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for veteran healthcare, reported dismissing more than 1,000 employees still in their probationary periods. The US Forest Service also planned to terminate over 3,000 staff members.
Union sources and employees familiar with the situation told Reuters that termination notices were sent within the last 48 hours, primarily targeting recently hired employees on probation. Agencies including the Departments of Interior, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services focused on workers with less job protection, while others, like the independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were effectively shut down, with cuts extending to fixed-term contract workers.
The White House confirmed that these layoffs were in addition to the 75,000 employees who accepted voluntary buyouts, making up about 3% of the 2.3 million civilian workforce.
President Trump has expressed concerns over the federal government’s significant debt, citing waste and fraud as key issues. With a $36 trillion debt and a $1.8 trillion deficit from the previous year, there is widespread agreement on the need for a comprehensive reform of the federal government.
