Trump’s Massive Layoff Plan: Nearly 10,000 U.S. Government Workers Fired Amid Major Restructuring

Departments including Interior, Energy, and Veterans Affairs hit hardest by cuts / EPA

In an unprecedented move, U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have orchestrated a massive wave of layoffs across federal agencies, resulting in nearly 10,000 workers being dismissed in just a few days. According to reports by Reuters on February 14, sources revealed that workers from multiple federal departments, including the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health and Human Services, were part of this large-scale termination process.

The layoffs are a direct result of an executive order signed by President Trump on February 13, which instructed federal agencies to terminate nearly all probationary employees with less than a year of service. These actions are part of the broader government restructuring efforts designed to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Impact on Key U.S. Government Agencies and Their Employees
The Department of the Interior faced the largest number of layoffs, with approximately 2,300 employees losing their jobs. The Department of Energy followed closely behind, shedding between 1,200 and 2,000 employees. The Department of Agriculture, particularly its Forestry Service, was also significantly impacted, losing about 3,400 workers, which accounts for roughly 10% of its total staff.

Other departments affected include the Department of Veterans Affairs, which saw over 1,000 job cuts; the Department of Education, which laid off at least 160 workers; and the General Services Administration (GSA), with roughly 100 employees dismissed. Additionally, around 100 staff members from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) were also affected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services, experienced significant reductions, with 1,300 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, being terminated. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) also contributed to the wave of layoffs, with 70 probationary employees and several contract workers being let go.

In total, the layoffs have affected more than 9,500 employees, and estimates suggest that the number could approach 10,000 when factoring in all departments. The vast majority of those affected were probationary employees, who do not have the same employment protections as permanent staff members. However, some non-probationary employees were also included in the layoff wave.

Future Layoffs and Further Government Restructuring Plans
The layoffs are not expected to stop here. Sources have indicated that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing to lay off thousands of employees in the coming weeks. This indicates that the massive restructuring efforts will continue to affect federal workers across the country.

While the exact number of probationary employees working across U.S. government agencies is not publicly known, estimates suggest that around 200,000 individuals may be affected by these cuts. The Trump administration’s move to terminate a substantial portion of these probationary staff members is part of a larger government overhaul aimed at improving efficiency and reducing the size of the federal workforce.

On February 11, President Trump signed an executive order to kickstart the large-scale layoffs. The order directed federal agency heads to swiftly begin reducing the workforce, with Musk, who oversees the Department of Government Efficiency, by his side. The ultimate goal of these drastic cuts is to streamline government functions and cut unnecessary spending, but it has left many employees out of work and uncertain about their future in the public sector.