Donald Trump’s first 100 days of second term: Thousands of federal employees laid off, over 275,000 impacted

Tens of thousands of civilian federal workers have been fired, put on leave, or resigned as part of a major government downsizing initiative led by the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk, since the start of Donald Trump’s second term. The Department of Government Efficiency, created by executive order, has aggressively pushed staff reductions.

Currently, confirmed layoffs and buyouts could affect at least 12% of the 2.4 million civilian federal employees, and the number is likely to grow as more agency plans are finalised, aaccording to a report in The New York Times.

Total federal workforce reductions

Confirmed layoffs: Over 55,000 federal employees have been officially laid off.

Voluntary buyouts: Approximately 76,000 employees accepted buyout offers.

Planned reductions: An additional 145,000 positions are slated for elimination.​

Department-specific impacts

Department of Defense (DoD)

Announced plans to terminate up to 61,000 civilian employees, starting with 5,400 probationary staff. ​

Department of the Interior

Approximately 2,300 employees dismissed, including 800 from the Bureau of Land Management.

National Park Service: About 1,000 staff, including maintenance workers and scientists, were laid off, raising concerns about park operations. ​

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Over 1,000 probationary employees, including researchers in mental health and prosthetics, were terminated. ​

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Approximately 5,200 probationary employees received termination notices, with significant cuts at the CDC and NIH.

The administration also terminated dozens of researchers at a leading Alzheimer's research center under the NIH. ​

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Between 6,000 to 7,000 probationary employees were laid off during the peak tax-filing season, potentially impacting tax return processing and enforcement.

Some agencies, like the US Agency for International Development and Voice of America, have lost over 99% of their workforce. Others, including AmeriCorps (93% cut) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (85% cut), have been gutted almost entirely.​

Public response and criticism

A recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll indicates that nearly 60% of Americans believe the Trump administration's layoffs have gone too far. ​

Elon Musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has become a polarizing figure, with a disapproval rating rising to 57%. ​

Implementation strategies

The administration employed several strategies for workforce reduction:​

Executive Orders: On January 28, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order removing civil service protections for thousands of federal employees, facilitating their dismissal without standard procedural safeguards.

Deferred resignation program: The administration introduced a "deferred-resignation" initiative, which approximately 75,000 federal workers accepted by mid-February, effectively streamlining workforce reductions.

Targeting probationary employees: A directive mandated the termination of probationary employees—those with less than a year in their current roles—citing inadequate performance, often without substantial evidence. ​

Agency closures and downsizing: Significant cuts were implemented across various agencies, including the US Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with some entities facing near-total staff reductions.

Reductions in Force (RIF): Agencies were instructed to submit plans for workforce reductions.

Legal challenges and reinstatements

The sweeping layoffs have sparked multiple legal challenges. Thousands of probationary employees initially fired were reinstated in February following lower court orders. However, decisions in early April by the US Supreme Court and an appeals court allowed the Trump administration to continue blocking lower court rulings, limiting reinstatements.

Many fired workers have been placed on paid administrative leave while court battles continue.