Trump Administration Begins Major Federal Layoffs Amid Government Shutdown Standoff
The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal employees as part of a sweeping plan to pressure Democrats during the ongoing government shutdown — a move that has already sparked outrage among unions and lawmakers.
White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought confirmed the layoffs on Friday morning, posting on X that “the RIFs have begun,” referring to “reductions in force,” the official term for federal job cuts. A spokesperson for his office later said the layoffs were “substantial” and affected several government agencies.
According to official filings, more than 4,000 federal workers across seven agencies have already been issued layoff notices, marking one of the most significant federal workforce reductions in decades.
Trump Uses Shutdown to Push Workforce Cuts
President Donald Trump has long vowed to shrink the federal government, calling many agencies “bloated” and “inefficient.” Now, amid the current shutdown, he appears to be using the budget impasse to advance that goal.
By law, federal agencies must give employees at least 30 days’ notice before any layoffs take effect. Following Vought’s announcement, major departments such as Treasury and Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed they had begun notifying workers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also revealed plans to lay off staff at its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — even as cybersecurity threats against the U.S. remain high.
However, the administration has released few specifics, leaving thousands of workers uncertain about their future.
Unions and Lawmakers Push Back
Two major labor unions — the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the AFL-CIO — immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the layoffs during a shutdown. They argue the administration is violating federal law and endangering public services.
“It is disgraceful that the Trump administration is using 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.
The unions also asked a federal court in California to issue a temporary restraining order halting the layoffs. But government lawyers pushed back, claiming that the restraining order would “irreparably harm” the government’s ability to manage its workforce efficiently.
Agencies Hit Hardest
Court filings later revealed the scope of the layoffs. The Treasury Department is expected to lose around 1,446 employees, while HHS plans to cut between 1,100 and 1,200 positions.
Other agencies, including the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security, are also affected, with between 176 and 400 employees at each expected to receive reduction notices.
Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that 20 to 30 workers had received “intent to RIF” notices, signaling more cuts could follow.
Altogether, the layoffs could impact more than 4,600 workers in the initial wave — and that number may rise as the shutdown continues.
A Shutdown Unlike Any Before
Previous government shutdowns have typically involved furloughs, where employees were temporarily sent home without pay but later reimbursed once funding resumed. This time, the situation is different.
The Trump administration’s layoffs appear to be permanent, meaning affected workers may not return even after the government reopens. Roughly 40% of the federal workforce — about 750,000 employees — is currently affected by the shutdown, either furloughed or working without pay.
Lawmakers have failed to reach a deal on funding, with both parties blaming each other for the standoff. Democrats insist that any spending bill must protect key healthcare programs, such as Medicaid and insurance subsidies, while Republicans accuse them of using the issue to score political points.
Political Fallout Intensifies
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the administration’s actions, accusing Trump and Vought of creating “deliberate chaos.” He called the layoffs an “outrageous abuse of power designed to intimidate federal workers and punish Democrats.”
Meanwhile, Republican Senator John Thune defended the administration’s approach, saying, “They held off for 10 days. At some point, they were going to have to make these decisions and prioritize how to manage money during a shutdown.”
For Trump, the move aligns with his long-term goal of dramatically reducing the size of the federal government. Since returning to office in January, he and Vought have made extensive cuts through buyouts, resignations, and firings, with many positions eliminated outright.
The Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan organization that studies government employment, estimated that the federal workforce had already shrunk by about 200,000 employees before the new layoffs began.
The Musk-Backed “Efficiency” Drive
The administration’s cost-cutting initiative — dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — has been spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of reducing bureaucracy. According to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the government sector announced nearly 300,000 job cuts this year alone, with most linked to DOGE initiatives.
Politico previously reported that OMB had instructed agencies to prepare “reduction-in-force” plans targeting programs or roles “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”
Trump has personally praised the initiative on Truth Social, writing that he had met with Vought “to determine which Democrat-run agencies, most of which are a political scam, should be cut — and whether those cuts will be temporary or permanent.”
Economic and Social Consequences
The layoffs are already sending shockwaves through Washington and beyond. With thousands of government workers suddenly facing unemployment, local economies that depend on federal spending are bracing for impact.
Economists warn that extended workforce reductions could slow economic growth, weaken essential services, and deepen public mistrust in government institutions.
“It’s not just about the numbers,” said Janet Byrne, a former Treasury economist. “When you lay off thousands of skilled employees during a shutdown, you risk crippling the very systems that keep the country running.”
Uncertain Future
Despite the backlash, the administration has shown no signs of reversing course. Vought insists that the cuts are part of a broader effort to make the federal government “leaner, more efficient, and accountable to taxpayers.”
Meanwhile, unions, lawmakers, and advocacy groups are mobilizing to fight what they call a politically motivated attack on public servants.
As the shutdown stretches on, the fate of thousands of federal workers — and the services they provide — hangs in the balance. For now, Washington remains at a standstill, caught between political brinkmanship and the growing human cost of the government’s own paralysis.