Massive government shutdown layoffs set to begin

The White House confirmed Friday that federal employee layoffs have begun as a direct result of the government shutdown, which has now been going on for more than a week without progress in congressional negotiations.

The announcement was made by Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who published a brief but forceful message on the social network X (formerly Twitter): “The RIFs have begun”, in reference to the “forced workforce reductions” or Reductions in Force, the technical term used by the US Government for mass layoffs within the public sector. Here’s what we know about the mass layoffs due to the government shutdown.

Government shutdown with real consequences

For 10 days now, President Trump and Republicans in Congress have shut down the federal government, risking healthcare for millions of Americans and refusing to work across the aisle to reach bipartisan support.

This is reckless. End the shutdown now. pic.twitter.com/VG39duwv98

– Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) October 10, 2025

The federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2025, partially paralyzed the operations of hundreds of agencies and has affected millions of workers across the country.

Thousands of employees were sent home without pay, while others, considered “essential”, continue to work without pay until a new budget is approved.

However, what distinguishes this shutdown from previous ones is that the Donald Trump Administration has not limited itself to temporarily suspending employees, but has opted to lay them off for good, citing budgetary and government restructuring reasons.

According to official sources, layoff orders began to circulate in agencies such as the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These agencies had been singled out by the White House as “bloated” and “poorly aligned” with the current president’s priorities.

A cutback plan that goes beyond closure

The White House has made it clear that the layoffs are not a temporary measure.

In Vought’s words, the administration seeks to “take advantage of this shutdown to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic structures” and consolidate functions that Trump says should be passed to the private sector.

The cutback plan is part of a strategy initiated at the beginning of the president’s second term, promoted in coordination with Elon Musk, a businessman and political ally of the president, who led a working group on government efficiency.

This team recommended eliminating thousands of government jobs in sectors considered “non-priority” or “duplicative”.

Impact and reactions

Federal unions and labor groups called the decision “an unprecedented attack” on public workers.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) warned that the layoffs could directly affect basic services that millions of Americans use every day, from Social Security benefits to immigration processing.

For their part, Democratic leaders such as Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries accused the president of using the shutdown as a political tool. “This is not austerity, it’s an ideological purge,” Schumer declared.

No agreement in sight

Negotiations in Congress remain stalled.

Republicans are demanding a new budget with deep cuts in social spending and environmental regulations, while Democrats insist on restoring funding for key programs such as health, housing and education.

The Senate will not reconvene until Tuesday, October 14, when a new vote on the Republican proposal is expected.

Meanwhile, thousands of federal employees across the United States live with the uncertainty of whether they will have jobs again once the government reopens.