Federal layoffs surge past 10,000 as DOGE pushes mass firings

Washington D.C. – Federal agencies face a crucial Monday deadline to submit detailed plans for sweeping layoffs, marking the latest phase in the Trump administration’s aggressive campaign to shrink the federal government. The initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and tech mogul Elon Musk, has already triggered tens of thousands of departures from the civil service — both voluntary and forced.

Some agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have already executed their rounds of dismissals. On April 1, HHS abruptly terminated roughly 10,000 employees, some discovering their fate when their office badges stopped working. Entire departments were eliminated in the process, and workers were not offered the option of deferred resignation — a temporary paid exit route made available in select agencies.

DOGE’s so-called “reductions in force” follow mass probationary employee terminations in February and are expected to continue altering the structure and capacity of key federal agencies. The effort has left many in government feeling anxious, disoriented, and ill-informed. Agency supervisors and workers alike report receiving little to no guidance on layoffs or incentives, relying instead on news reports and social media for updates.

A scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency described a climate of confusion and fear: “Even managers don’t know what’s happening. People are vanishing and no one’s told who will pick up the work.”

Voluntary exits have surged ahead of Monday’s deadline, with over 1,100 employees leaving the National Park Service alone under a limited-time resignation payout offer. Yet the offer’s scope has varied by department, and many workers say they were given minimal notice and guidance. One Homeland Security staffer said they were given just 48 hours to decide on an early retirement option with no official follow-up from human resources.

Adding to the turmoil is the growing backlog of appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), where laid-off workers must take their cases. President Trump recently fired board chair Cathy A. Harris, paralyzing the board by removing its quorum. Experts say this move could leave fired workers in legal limbo for years.

Meanwhile, reports from newly dismissed workers describe receiving inaccurate or incomplete records of their service, with no clear recourse.

As the federal workforce braces for further reductions, this week’s agency plans are expected to offer the clearest picture yet of the Trump administration’s evolving vision for a leaner — and some say hollowed-out — government.