Trump Moves To Shrink Federal Workforce, Fires Over 1,000 Employees
The administration of US President Donald Trump has begun terminating probationary federal employees as part of a broader effort to downsize the government workforce.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed the layoffs, announcing the dismissal of over 1,000 probationary employees in non-essential roles.
“The dismissals announced today are part of a government-wide Trump Administration effort to make agencies more efficient, effective and responsive to the American People,” it said in a statement.
Although the exact number of affected workers remains unclear, data indicates that over 200,000 federal employees are currently in their probationary period.
Reports suggest that agency heads have been directed to terminate most trial and probationary staff, who have fewer civil service protections.
READ ALSO
- Trump Disbands U.S Team Tracking Sani Abacha’s Looted Funds For Nigeria
- Trump Bans Transgender Women From Female Sports
An employee of the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM), speaking anonymously to AFP, revealed she was among nearly 100 staff dismissed during a video call.
“All were told they were being let go for performance purposes,” she said.
Shortly after the call ended, she received a letter from acting OPM director Charles Ezell confirming her dismissal.
Her access was cut off less than an hour later.
Spokespeople for OPM and the White House press offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The mass layoffs follow a White House initiative offering federal workers eight months’ salary to resign voluntarily.
An email with the resignation offer, titled “Fork in the Road,” warned employees that those who declined the offer risked future layoffs.
More than 65,000 federal employees accepted the buyout offer from OPM, the White House said.
A Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employee, who spoke with AFP, said she chose to accept the offer out of fear of being fired.
“This was my dream job. It just became very clear to me that the writing is on the wall. I might as well take the best cushion I have to put myself in the best situation to take the time I need to find a new position,” she said.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
