Expected mass federal government layoffs have begun

The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal workers amid the ongoing Democrat-fueled shutdown.

“The RIFs have begun,” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought announced on social media Friday afternoon.

RIFs is short for “reductions in force.”

The RIFs have begun.

— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 10, 2025

An OMB spokesperson later confirmed to Government Executive magazine that a “substantial” number of government workers — reportedly around 4,200 — were laid off on Friday.

What remains unclear is whether the layoffs will be permanent or not.

“While administration officials have suggested the layoffs represent a permanent action, OMB has advised agencies they may revise their layoff plans once the government is reopened,” Government Executive notes.

The departments/agencies that were hit on Friday included the Commerce Department, the Education Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), the Homeland Security Department (DHS), the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD), and the Treasury Department.

Departments of Interior, Treasury, Commerce, EPA, Energy, HHS, HUD all being hit with layoffs!

I voted for this.

Make government small again.

— JKash MAGA Queen (@JKash000) October 10, 2025

“HHS employees across multiple divisions have received reduction-in-force notices as a direct consequence of the Democrat-led government shutdown,” an HHS spokesperson told CNBC. “HHS under the Biden administration became a bloated bureaucracy, growing its budget by 38 percent and its workforce by 17 percent.”

“All HHS employees receiving reduction-in-force notices were designated non-essential by their respective divisions. HHS continues to close wasteful and duplicative entities, including those that are at odds with the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda,” the spokesperson added.

The only thing in the Trump administration’s way is unions like the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of County, State, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Both filed suit on Sept. 30, questioning the legitimacy of the RIFs and demanding a temporary restraining order.

“These mass firings are illegal and will have devastating effects on the services millions of Americans rely on every day,” AFSCME president Lee Saunders said in a statement.

“Whether it’s food inspectors, public safety workers, or the countless other public service workers who keep America running, federal employees should not be bargaining chips in this administration’s political games,” he added.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said in a statement earlier in the week that “any government worker who loses their job” will have Democrats to blame.

“Why are layoffs now necessary in this shutdown?”@PressSec: “We are $37T in debt and the federal government is currently shut down. There is no more money… Democrats have given this Administration an unenviable choice.” pic.twitter.com/rejyrDqQnz

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 3, 2025

Even RINO Sen. Susan Collins agrees that Democrats — particularly Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — are to blame, though unlike her peers, she opposes the layoffs.

“I strongly oppose OMB Director Russ Vought’s attempt to permanently lay off federal workers who have been furloughed due to a completely unnecessary government shutdown caused by Senator Schumer,” she said in a statement.

“Regardless of whether federal employees have been working without pay or have been furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public. Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and to deliver essential programs, and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country,” she added.

Democrats, meanwhile, say President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are to blame.

“Russell Vought just fired thousands of Americans with a tweet,” Schumer said in a statement. “Let’s be blunt: nobody’s forcing Trump and Vought to do this. They don’t have to do it; they want to.”

“They’re callously choosing to hurt people — the workers who protect our country, inspect our food, respond when disasters strike. This is deliberate chaos. Here’s what’s worse: Republicans would rather see thousands of Americans lose their jobs than sit down and negotiate with Democrats to reopen the government,” he added.

Republicans own this shutdown—every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions. https://t.co/o0iuLVcAnC

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 10, 2025

In a court filing submitted Friday, the Trump administration left the door open to more courts, writing that other departments/agencies “are actively considering whether to conduct additional RIFs related to the ongoing lapse in appropriations.”

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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