This photo captures the moment Mitch Flanigan interacts with two retired sled dogs at Denali National Park in Alaska. Flanigan had begun a full-time ranger role in December 2024, focused on the sled dog team. However, just a few months later, on February 14, 2025, he was let go from his position as a probationary employee.
Many federal workers are currently facing tough times after being laid off as part of President Trump’s budget cuts. These cuts have hit various departments hard, leaving employees struggling to find new jobs. Eric Anderson, a 48-year-old man from Chicago, found himself in this situation after being fired from his role as a biological science technician at Indiana Dunes National Park. He explained that his expertise in areas like vegetation sampling and prescribed fire don’t translate well into private sector jobs.
The abruptness of his firing hit Anderson hard. After years of education and hands-on experience, he was suddenly jobless due to a single email. The stress even led him to break a tooth from grinding it out of anxiety. Despite the uncertainty, Anderson holds onto a glimmer of hope that he might be called back to his previous job. Yet, he knows he’s caught in a larger web of government spending cuts that affect countless other workers, too.
For these former federal employees, the search for new opportunities is daunting, especially in a job market that may not value their specialized skills.
To learn more about the challenges faced by laid-off federal workers, click here.
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Donald Trump,Office of the President of the United States,Elon Musk