Trump administration confirmed Friday that over 4,000 federal employees were let go as the partial government shutdown dragged into its 10th day, NY Post reported. Federal employees began receiving notices on Friday suggesting they will be laid off in 60 days, according to the House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged that Friday marked the first day federal workers would not receive full paychecks since the shutdown began on October 1.
The US government shutdown entered its tenth day on Friday, and notices of layoffs have started going out across several agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the NYT reported.
The Trump administration has said the layoffs are a direct consequence of the shutdown, placing the blame on Democrats, while Democrats and some Republicans are against, branding the moves illegal and poorly timed.
Trump admin axes 4,000+ Federal workers
The bulk of the job cuts were reported at the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, which lost around 1,446 and 1,200 employees, respectively. According to sources familiar with the move, furloughed employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are among the worst hit, particularly at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Several US airports reported flight delays this week due to shortages of air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay. The essential workers are expected to receive back pay once the shutdown ends. The stalemate also threatens to delay paychecks for military members, scheduled for October 15.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for HHS, confirmed the layoffs but did not disclose the exact number of employees affected. Nixon blamed Democrats for the shutdown. According to him, the department had grown into a “bloated bureaucracy” under the Biden administration.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, confirmed that layoffs at her department have begun but did not provide further details about which agencies or how many positions would be impacted.
A court filing on Friday revealed that more than 4,000 federal employees across seven agencies could receive layoff notices. According to the filing seen by CBS News:
- Department of Commerce: ~315 employees
- Department of Education: ~466 employees
- Department of Energy: ~187 employees
- Department of Health and Human Services: ~1,100–1,200 employees
- Department of Housing and Urban Development: ~442 employees
- Department of Homeland Security: ~176 employees
- Department of the Treasury: ~1,446 employees
The filing was part of a response to an emergency motion by the American Federation of Government Employees and the AFL-CIO. The union is seeking to block mass layoffs during the shutdown.
Experts warn that mass firings require specific steps, including notifying employees at least 30 days in advance. Nick Bednar, an administrative law expert, said, “We may expect that some employees will receive notices soon, but the actual separation from the federal government will not occur for at least another month.”
Several unions have previously filed lawsuits to prevent layoffs during the shutdown, adding concerns that the cuts could be substantial. In one instance, they suggested as many as 1,300 Treasury employees alone could receive notices.
US lawmakers react as shutdown enters its tenth day
Democratic lawmakers have criticised the administration’s move. Rep. Mike Levin called the mass firings “illegal and unconstitutional,” accusing OMB Director Russell Vought of being “completely out of control.” Levin added that during a shutdown, the president can only decide who is essential and who is furloughed, permanent firings are not permitted.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, also spoke out, stating that arbitrary layoffs would harm agencies’ ability to function and would affect families. Similarly, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski called the layoffs “poorly timed” and an example of “punitive actions against federal workers.” “The termination of federal employees in a shutdown will further hurt hard-working Americans who have dedicated their lives to public service and jeopardise agency missions once we finally re-open the government,” she wrote on X.