Trump Expands Government Shrink Efforts: to Terminate Thousands

What Happened?

As many as 200,000 federal employees are set to be affected by mass layoffs planned by the Trump administration.

On a call to agencies Thursday, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reportedly instructed workplace leaders to move forward to terminate thousands of probationary workers.

Nearly 10% of the civilian federal workforce has been on the job for a year or less, according to 2024 data from OPM.

Some reports suggest that probationary workers have been primarily targeted amid fewer job protections and lack the right to appeal.

The looming terminations also reportedly include different government sectors such as the Department of Education, U.S. Forest Service, Small Business Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins issued a statement Thursday after dismissing more than 1,000 workers that estimated savings of about $98 million.

'This was a tough decision, but ultimately it’s the right call to better support the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve,' Collins said.

Federal agency leaders were informed to prepare for these large-scale moves Wednesday after President Donald Trump's newly signed executive order.

The order aims to empower Elon Musk’s DOGE team to carry out these mass layoff mandates in an effort to reduce the nation's debt deficit.

Federal departments will have limited ability to hire more staffers without DOGE being coordinated for future hiring plans.

Why it Matters

Billionaire Musk has sparked criticism among those on Capitol Hill in his very involved role in reshaping federal government operations.

This recent news comes after pending lawsuits were filed in response to several actions by the Trump administration like the shutdown of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

DOGE also attempted to access sensitive company records that government personnel and a judge have blocked.

The Trump administration previously announced eight-month buyout offers to all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs.

About 75,000 federal workers, roughly 3.3% of the workforce, accepted the buyouts below the White House's goal of 5% to 10%, according to USA TODAY.

Out of 2.3 million federal workers, data shows about 220,000 federal workers had less than one year of experience as of March 2024.

So far, DOGE has claimed it's saving the federal government nearly $1 billion per day by taking these actions.

How it Affects You

President Trump's actions mark an unprecedented time as his administration aims to shrink the U.S. government and swiftly address federal spending.

As legal challenges begin to pile, some of these decisions could argue the question of being deemed 'unconstitutional.'

Pressure along Capitol Hill has intensified as House and Senate leaders will soon prepare to vote on key funding measures.

Some of those measures focus on the Department of Education which Trump has strongly opposed and wants to dismantle.