White House says layoffs of federal workers have begun, with few details : NPR

The Trump administration says “substantial” layoffs of federal workers have begun, apparently in response to threats to reduce the size of the government during the shutdown.

The news was first reported by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. social media post on X it said, “The RIFs have begun.”

An OMB spokesperson confirmed to NPR that the reduction in force process, or “RIF,” is ongoing and “substantial,” but declined to provide details on how many people are affected.

The administration did not provide details on the extent of the layoffs. Some federal employees have received actual layoff notices, while union leaders at other agencies say they have been notified simply of the intention to cut staff.

At least one federal agency has confirmed that reduction in force (RIF) notices are being sent to federal employees.

“HHS employees across multiple divisions have received layoff notices as a direct consequence of the Democratic-led government shutdown,” Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said shortly after Vought's publication. “All HHS employees who received layoff notices have been deemed non-essential by their respective departments.”

The spokesman accused the Biden administration of creating a “bloated bureaucracy,” even though HHS has already cut more workers — 20,000 workers through the previous RIF and through voluntary resignations and retirements — than it added under the Biden administration.

The union representing Department of Education employees said in a statement that “several union members” have confirmed that the RIF will impact at least two offices: the Office of Communications and Outreach and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“This administration continues to take every opportunity to illegally dismantle the Department of Education (ED) contrary to the intent of Congress,” AFGE Local 252 President Rachel Gittleman said Friday. “They are using the same strategy to cut staff without considering the impact on students and families in communities across the country.”

Antonio Gaines, president of AFGE Council 222, which represents Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employees across the country, confirmed to NPR that the union has received notice from HUD of its “intent to lay off a number of employees.”

“We are in the process of reviewing the notice, assessing the impact and scope of the agency's decision, and seeking legal guidance from the National Office,” Gaines wrote.

Separately, NPR reviewed a screenshot of a memo from the National Federation of Federal Employees notifying the union RIF at many HUD field offices.

AFGE Council 238 President Justin Chen confirmed that EPA employees overseeing recycling and composting initiatives, plastic reduction and other programs were among those slated for layoffs.

“The weakening of EPA's workforce is a direct threat to the health and safety of Americans,” Chen wrote in a statement. “If Trump thinks his decision will only hurt federal workers, he is sadly mistaken.”

It is unclear whether individual EPA or HUD employees received formal layoff notices. An EPA spokesman blamed the layoffs on Democrats and the government shutdown. A HUD spokesman said the staffing cuts were made to “align our programs with the Administration's priorities and appropriations available to the department.”

On Reddit, IRS employees posted screenshots of the RIF notices they received, telling them their last day would be December 9th.

“The Internal Revenue Service has decided that it is necessary to abolish certain positions in the INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY sector to further develop the workforce,” read one such notice.

Federal law specifically sets out the process that RIFs must follow, including a minimum of 60 days' notice of the end date, or 30 days' notice if the Office of Personnel Management grants a waiver.

Some agencies may need to notify unions or Congress and then prepare formal notices to send to affected employees. Notices must include information such as the reasons for the RIF and the effective date.

Unions go to court again

Several trade unions already filed a lawsuit regarding the RIF threat before the shutdown, arguing that “the Trump Administration has made unlawful threats to eliminate essential federal services and functions provided by federal personnel, deviating from historical practices and violating applicable laws.”

The RIF announcement came hours before a court-imposed deadline for the federal government to detail the status of “any planned or pending RIF notices that will be issued during/due to the government shutdown.”

American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelly criticized the announcement in a statement Friday.

“It is disgraceful that the Trump administration used a government shutdown as an excuse to illegally lay off thousands of workers who provide vital services to communities across the country,” he said.

Since the shutdown began, the Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to cut spending, lay off workers and not pay some furloughed employees, arguing that the cuts are to blame for Democrats who will not give up their demands for expanded health care subsidies in exchange for reopening the government.

The White House also said its decision to freeze transportation funding in Chicago and New York and eliminate billions of dollars in grants for Biden-era energy projects is a continuation of its efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy.

The massive layoffs have been a hallmark of the department's efforts to improve government efficiency that began when Trump returned to office in January.

In February memo The Office of Personnel Management and OMB have asked federal agencies to prepare multi-phase plans to implement Trump's “workforce optimization initiative,” which includes layoffs and what the workforce will look like when the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

How NPR previously reportedMany agencies that carried out layoffs under pressure and direction from DOGE have rehired staff in recent weeks, citing a failure to meet core missions and implement Trump's policy priorities.

While the Trump administration has argued that federal government cuts must occur because of the funding freeze, some experts say the shutdown does not mean layoffs are necessary.

“There is no law requiring them to lay off a significant portion of federal employees during a temporary government shutdown,” said Jessica Riedl of the center-right Manhattan Institute. “No such law exists, and this practice did not occur during previous stops.”

Layoffs reduce chances of compromise with financing

Top Republicans on Capitol Hill blame the mass layoffs on Democrats who refused to support the Republican-backed government reopening measure because it does not extend health insurance subsidies that are set to expire later this year.

GOP leaders also hoped the threat of mass layoffs would cause Democrats to relent. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the Trump administration was left with no choice.

“I think they held off as long as they could,” Thune told reporters Friday.

But Democrats say Republicans are taking advantage of the shutdown to continue their ongoing efforts to reduce the influence of the federal government.

“Let's be clear: No one is forcing Trump and Vought to do this,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement Friday. “They don’t have to do it; they want it. They callously decide to harm people—the workers who protect our country, inspect our food, respond to natural disasters. This is intentional chaos.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters Thursday that a bipartisan group has made progress on a possible path to ending the shutdown that would include a vote on health insurance subsidies once the government reopens.

But hope for compromise may be fading again as the layoffs further escalate tensions in Congress.

Collins was one of the few Republicans to criticize the firings on Friday.

“I strongly oppose OMB Director Russ Vought’s attempt to permanently furlough federal employees furloughed by the completely unnecessary government shutdown caused by Senator Schumer,” Collins wrote. “Whether federal employees worked for free or were furloughed, their work is incredibly important in serving the public.”

NPR's Corey Turner, Jennifer Ludden and Michael Copley contributed to this report.

Do you have information to share about agency downsizing plans and other changes in the federal government? Contact this author via encrypted message on Signal: Stephen Fowler located at stphnfwlr.25.