On Friday, the Trump administration initiated layoffs affecting thousands of federal employees, fulfilling its commitment to reduce the size of the federal government. In a legal document filed late on Friday, attorneys from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revealed that around 4,200 employees from at least seven different agencies received notices about the reduction in force (RIF) starting on October 10. OMB Director Russ Vought confirmed this development via social media, stating, “The RIFs have begun,” on X.
The most significant job losses will occur in the Departments of Treasury (1,446 employees), Health and Human Services (1,100–1,200 employees), Education (466 employees), and Housing and Urban Development (442 employees). Additional smaller layoffs have been noted in the Commerce, Energy, Homeland Security, and Environmental Protection agencies. President Donald Trump commented to reporters on Friday that “it’ll be a lot” of workers affected, attributing the prolonged shutdown to the Democrats.
