Federal workers who will be laid off due to the ongoing government shutdown primarily come from several key federal agencies. More than 4,000 federal employees across seven agencies have received layoff notices, with the following departments most affected:
- Department of the Treasury: About 1,446 employees, including around 1,300 from the IRS, are being laid off.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Between 1,100 and 1,200 employees received layoff notices; some initial layoffs for CDC staff were later reversed.
- Department of Education: Approximately 466 employees affected.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): About 442 employees affected.
- Department of Commerce: Roughly 315 employees targeted.
- Department of Energy: Around 187 workers.
- Department of Homeland Security: 176 employees, mainly from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 20 to 30 employees may be laid off, but the decision is not finalized.
These layoffs are part of a reduction-in-force (RIF) initiated by the Trump administration to downsize the federal workforce amid the shutdown, with the White House targeting agencies not aligned with the president's priorities. Workers notified are generally those classified as non-essential by their agencies, and the layoffs are expected to be implemented within 30 to 60 days. Unions representing federal employees have filed lawsuits contesting the legality of these actions.