Mass Layoffs at US Department of Health and Human Services

Publicado el 02/04/2025 a las 17:46

Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services began receiving layoff notices on Tuesday.

The restructuring could leave up to 10,000 health sector federal workers unemployed.

This move follows an executive order by President Donald Trump limiting collective bargaining rights.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a reform plan last week.

The plan aims to consolidate key agencies under a new office called the Administration for a Healthy United States.

Restructuring of Health Department Leaves Thousands of Vacancies and Raises Public Health Concerns

Under the new structure, the Department would reduce its workforce to 62,000 employees.

Another 10,000 workers have accepted early retirement packages or voluntary exit offers.

Democratic Senator Patty Murray warned about the risks of being unprepared for disasters and health outbreaks.

“They might as well rename it the Department of Diseases,” Murray said during a press call.

In addition to the layoffs, over $11 billion in COVID-related funding has been cut.

Local health departments will also be forced to eliminate hundreds of positions.

Unions were notified that between 8,000 and 10,000 employees would be let go.

The cuts will primarily impact human resources, finance, and information technology departments.

Kennedy described the Health Department as an “overgrown bureaucracy” and inefficient.

The FDA will lose 3,500 jobs, the CDC 2,400, and the NIH another 1,200.

Trump signed an executive order eliminating union rights in several health agencies.

Democrats accused the president of weakening the government and empowering businessmen like Elon Musk.