The Trump administration has started laying off federal employees in various agencies, aiming to cut costs. This impacts thousands of workers at the Departments of Energy and Agriculture.
The layoffs kicked off after a meeting between the Office of Personnel Management and agency leaders. They were told to terminate all staff still on probation. Typically, federal employees in their first one to two years are on probation. This status makes it simpler for agencies to let them go.
It’s unclear how extensive the layoffs will be, but many workers are expected to lose their jobs, especially those who declined the administration’s offer for deferred resignation, which recently ended. Around 75,000 federal workers—less than 4% of the total workforce—accepted a buyout offer.
While the exact number of employees affected in the energy and environmental sectors isn’t clear, reports suggest that about 600 workers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took the buyout.
Among the layoffs are approximately 3,400 employees from the U.S. Forest Service, part of the Department of Agriculture (USDA). Although public safety personnel and firefighters are safe, other essential roles like road maintenance may see cuts.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is also facing layoffs. Around 300 employees are expected to be let go. The NNSA, which works on maintaining the country’s nuclear stockpile, has around 1,800 workers. This agency is under the Department of Energy, which is planning to lay off about 2,000 employees overall, primarily those on probation.
These layoffs extend beyond Washington, D.C. Reports indicate that hundreds of employees at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington and the Bonneville Power Administration in Oregon have also been affected.
Critics, like Senator Patty Murray, warn that these job cuts will slow vital cleanup efforts and compromise safety at these facilities. The Energy Department and USDA have yet to comment on the situation.
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