- A senior official from the Department of Defense informed reporters that the Pentagon will implement significant job cuts. The layoffs could impact up to 60,000 civilian workers.
- The cuts are part of the Trump administration’s effort to reduce the federal workforce and reduce spending.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s main concern is that job cuts do not harm military readiness.
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The Defense Department will reduce its size as part of the Trump administration’s effort to enhance government efficiency by trimming the federal workforce and cutting spending. This action will likely impact tens of thousands of civilian employees.
How many civilian employees might lose their jobs?
On Tuesday, March 18, a senior defense official told reporters that the Pentagon will cut about 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs. The DOD aims to reduce the civilian workforce by 5% to 8%.
The same official said less than 21,000 civilian employees took the voluntary resignation option offered by the administration in January.
Currently, the Pentagon employs about 900,000 civilian workers. The reduction plan involves eliminating approximately 6,000 positions each month by not replacing workers who leave.
However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly wants assurances that civilian cuts will not harm military readiness.
What is the court status of previously fired workers?
A federal judge ordered six federal agencies to reinstate probationary workers fired in February, putting plans to cut about 5,400 probationary workers, those on the job for less than a year, on hold.
The judge ruled the Office of Personnel Management’s terminations unlawful. The order extends to fired workers in the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Treasury and Interior.
The White House claimed the judge’s action was an attempt to unconstitutionally seize the executive branch’s power of hiring and firing.
One concern is that service members might be tapped to fill civilian jobs. However, reports indicate the military services and the Pentagon are reviewing personnel on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the cuts do not affect critical national security jobs.
