With the ongoing government shutdown, which commenced on October 1, 2025, the White House has confirmed that substantial layoffs of federal employees are now underway. This strategic move is seen as an attempt to exert pressure on congressional Democrats. The decision comes ten days after lawmakers failed to approve a crucial funding measure to keep the government operational, directly impacting approximately 40% of the federal workforce, which accounts for about 750,000 employees.
The term ‘RIFs,’ an acronym for ‘reductions in force,’ was publicly used by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought in a post on X. A spokesperson for the White House later confirmed that these cuts had indeed begun, describing them as ‘substantial.’ However, specific details regarding the exact scale of these layoffs and the departments most affected remain somewhat limited.
Which Agencies Are Bearing the Brunt?
Federal agencies across the board are already issuing formal layoff notices. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that reductions-in-force would impact its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Similarly, the Treasury Department acknowledged that RIF notices had started. At the Department of Health and Human Resources, employees within various divisions have received reduction-in-force notifications. Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for HHS, characterized these job losses as a direct consequence of the Democrat-led shutdown, as reported by BBC.
Legal Battles and Political Fallout
The administration’s decision has swiftly sparked legal challenges. The American Federation of Government Employees and the AFL-CIO have jointly filed a lawsuit in Northern California, seeking to temporarily halt these layoffs. According to BBC, AFGE president Everett Kelley condemned the actions as “disgraceful,” stating that federal workers are “tired of being used as pawns for the political and personal gains of the elected and un-elected leaders.”
Political figures have also weighed in on the contentious issue. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, accused President Trump and Russell Vought of intentionally causing “deliberate chaos.” Conversely, Republican Senator John Thune defended the White House, arguing that decisions regarding spending priorities were an unavoidable aspect of the ongoing shutdown.
The Roots of the Shutdown
The government shutdown initiated on October 1, 2025, after a stalemate between Democrats and Republicans over a new funding bill. Democrats opposed a Republican proposal to reopen the government without retaining expiring tax credits designed to lower health insurance costs and without reversing cuts to Medicaid. In response, Republicans have accused Democrats of unnecessarily triggering the shutdown and have attributed its widespread consequences to their legislative stance.
Compensation and White House Agenda
Legally, non-essential federal workers placed on unpaid leave are entitled to receive back-pay once the government shutdown concludes. However, the Trump administration has indicated that this compensation might not be guaranteed. Significantly reducing the federal workforce has been a long-standing objective for Director Vought, and the administration has openly utilized the shutdown as an opportunity to implement further deep cuts.
On October 2, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, revealing that he had met with Vought “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.” Prior to the shutdown, the White House budget office had already instructed federal agencies to prepare detailed reduction-in-force plans. Politico reported that these plans were to identify employees or programs whose funding would lapse or were “not consistent with the President’s priorities.”
A Workforce Already Under Strain
Since January, the administration had already been actively shrinking the federal workforce through a combination of firings, buyouts, administrative leave, and resignations. The Partnership for Public Service, a bipartisan organization dedicated to studying federal employment, estimated that approximately 200,000 employees had already departed from the workforce as of September 23.
As the government shutdown persists, these unfolding layoffs dramatically highlight the complex intersection of politics and public service. They underscore how workforce reductions are increasingly being used as a powerful lever in broader budgetary negotiations and policy disputes.