Trump Administration Begins Massive Federal Layoffs Amid Ongoing Shutdown
The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal employees in what it calls a “necessary efficiency measure” — a move that critics say is an attempt to pressure Democrats into ending the ongoing government shutdown.
White House budget chief Russell Vought announced the decision Friday morning on X (formerly Twitter): “The RIFs have begun,” referring to “reductions in force” — the bureaucratic term for layoffs. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) confirmed the cuts were “substantial”, with details later revealing that over 4,000 workers across seven federal agencies are being affected.
Thousands Impacted Across Federal Departments
According to a Justice Department filing, the largest share of layoffs will hit the Treasury Department, where 1,446 employees are receiving notices. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will lay off 1,100 to 1,200 workers, while the Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are each cutting at least 400 positions.
Other agencies facing cuts include the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security, each planning to reduce their staff by between 176 and 315 employees. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also issued “intent to RIF” notices to 20–30 workers, signaling possible future layoffs.
Federal law requires a 30-day notice period before layoffs take effect, meaning thousands of government workers could lose their jobs before the shutdown ends.
Unions File Legal Challenge
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the AFL-CIO filed an emergency lawsuit on Friday, calling the layoffs illegal and asking a federal court to block them.
“It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley.
Government attorneys argued that the unions failed to prove irreparable harm, saying a restraining order would “irreparably harm the government” by limiting its ability to reorganize during the funding lapse.
The move marks the first time in modern U.S. history that a federal administration has proceeded with layoffs during a government shutdown. Typically, furloughed workers return to their jobs and receive back pay once funding is restored.
A Strategic Pressure Tactic
The current shutdown — now in its tenth day — began after lawmakers failed to agree on a funding bill. Democrats are demanding protection for expiring healthcare tax credits and the reversal of Medicaid cuts, while Republicans insist Democrats are “holding the government hostage.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of “deliberate chaos,” saying the mass firings were meant to “weaponize the shutdown.”
Republicans, meanwhile, argue that the layoffs are necessary. “They held off for 10 days,” said Senator John Thune. “At some point, they were going to have to prioritize where to spend money when the government is shut down.”
Deep Cuts to the Federal Workforce
Vought and Trump have long sought to shrink the federal bureaucracy, viewing the shutdown as a “unique opportunity” to accelerate that goal.
According to the Partnership for Public Service, the federal workforce had already shrunk by 200,000 employees since Trump’s return to office in January. A report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that nearly 300,000 government job cuts had been announced this year — most tied to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the cost-cutting initiative originally launched under Elon Musk.
A week before the layoffs began, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had met with Vought to determine “which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM,” should be permanently cut.
Unprecedented Uncertainty for Federal Workers
Roughly 40% of the federal workforce — or about 750,000 employees — is currently affected by the shutdown. Both furloughed and “essential” workers are going unpaid, and the administration has suggested back pay may not be guaranteed, breaking with decades of precedent.
For now, thousands of federal employees remain in limbo, facing the prospect of permanent job loss as the White House and Congress remain deadlocked.
