A day after the Trump administration concluded its deferred resignation offer to the nation's two million federal government employees, mass layoffs commenced across multiple federal agencies on Thursday. This significant move, aligning with Trump's campaign pledge to reduce the size of the federal government, is expected to affect thousands of employees, as reported by sources close to the matter to ABC News.
The layoffs initially targeted probationary employees—those who have joined the federal workforce within the last one to two years, depending on the agency, and therefore have fewer protections. According to the most recent data available from March 2024, there were approximately 150,000 federal workers, excluding those from the Defense Department, who had one year of service or less.
Among the federal agencies experiencing these layoffs are the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, and the Small Business Administration. Additional agencies were also instructed to begin their layoffs on Thursday, according to sources.
At some agencies, employees received written notice via email informing them of their termination. At the OPM, workers joined a call where a prerecorded message from the acting director notified them of their job termination. Approximately 200 probationary workers participated in this call, sources indicated.
During the call, Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell addressed the employees. "Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. This is a difficult conversation, and I want to be direct, while also ensuring that you have all the information and support that you need," Ezell stated, according to an audio recording of the call obtained by ABC News. He instructed the employees to gather their personal belongings and exit the premises.
Ezell concluded the meeting by expressing hope that those affected would use this as an opportunity for their next steps forward. Prior to the layoffs, agencies had been directed by the OPM, which functions as the federal government's HR agency, to compile lists of probationary employees within their ranks, as sources familiar with the situation told ABC News.
