When President Trump took office, he signed an executive order to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with the goal of significantly decreasing government spending. For the head of the department he appointed Elon Musk, who has implemented large-scale layoffs across government agencies. Thousands have been fired as of Feb. 25, including 1,300 from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is about 10% of the total workforce there.
The IRS has experienced the most firings, with approximately 6,700 of its employees laid off so far. About 4,200 USDA employees and 2,640 Health and Human Services employees have also been fired. Trump and Musk are also attempting to shut down the nation’s aid agency, U.S.A.I.D. Over 7,000 of its employees have either been fired or placed on leave. On Feb. 13, a federal judge ruled against labor unions that were attempting to block the firings, and ruled that the firings could proceed.
Courts have tried to slow down some of the Trump administration’s efforts, but layoffs are still expected to continue in the coming weeks. Trump has also started an initiative to cut support for D.E.I. policies in government agencies, resulting in hundreds of workers whose job is to focus on D.E.I. initiatives being laid off.
On Jan. 24, Trump fired 17 inspectors general from various agencies. This violated a law that requires the president to give Congress a minimum of 30 days’ notice and reason for removal of watchdogs. These inspectors’ job is to uncover fraud within government agencies. On Feb. 11, the inspector general for U.S.A.I.D. was also fired.
There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not many of the firings are legal. Many are concerned that they could negatively impact economic output, while Musk and Trump argue that these firings will help boost the economy. While some fired workers have been brought back, many firings are being allowed to proceed, and courts so far have not ruled against them. More workers are expected to be fired in the coming weeks and months.
