The administration’s layoffs have impacted several key federal agencies:
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Reuters reports the USDA recently terminated probationary employees at two research agencies: the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service. The exact number of affected employees is unclear, but the terminations occurred overnight on February 13, 2025.
Department of Energy (DOE): The DOE recently terminated between 1,200 and 2,000 employees, including staff from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Loan Programs Office at the DOE.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): The VA has terminated more than 1,000 employees who were in their probationary period. These layoffs were focused on “non-bargaining unit probationary employees” with less than a year in a competitive service appointment or less than two years in an excepted service appointment. The VA stated “more than 43,000 probationary employees” in mission-critical roles were exempt from the dismissals.
U.S. Forest Service: Approximately 3,400 employees, accounting for about 10 percent of the Forest Service’s workforce, have been laid off. While public safety roles such as firefighters were exempted, critical positions related to wildfire prevention, road and trail maintenance, timber production and watershed restoration were affected, according to Politico.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM): The Federal News Network reports approximately 70 probationary employees were let go on Thursday.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): The CFPB has seen significant terminations, including those beyond probationary employees. The agency recently fired 73 probationary employees before a new round. According to NPR, close to 100 term employees (those with set-length contracts) were let go as part of a mass layoff initiative.
Department of Education: Termination notices have been sent to employees within their probationary period. USA Today reports more than 60 probationary employees have been let go.
Small Business Administration (SBA): Dozens of probationary employees at the SBA received premature termination notices last week just hours after Trump signed an executive order requiring government agencies to work with Musk’s DOGE service. Those terminations were rescinded, but on Tuesday, the notices were reissued, this time stating that the terminations were effective immediately.
General Services Administration (GSA): The GSA, responsible for managing federal properties and procurement, recently began terminating recent hires on Thursday.