The Trump administration initiated significant layoffs of federal employees, marking an escalation in its response to the ongoing funding impasse on the tenth day of the shutdown.
The move was confirmed by White House budget director Russell Vought in a social media post, writing, “The RIFs have begun,” referring to “Reductions in Force.”
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which Vought leads, later confirmed that the layoffs were underway and described them as “substantial.”
However, the agency did not provide specific details regarding the number of employees affected or which federal departments were being impacted.
The RIFs have begun.
— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 10, 2025
An administration official noted that the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Housing and Urban Development were among the agencies experiencing reductions. The White House had previously indicated that layoffs could affect thousands of federal workers if the shutdown persisted without a Congressional funding agreement.
The layoffs follow warnings from senior administration officials. Four days earlier, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated in an interview with CNBC that President Trump might “start taking sharp measures” should the shutdown continue. Hassett added that any job losses among federal employees should be attributed to the Democrats’ refusal to approve a Republican-backed funding plan.
Historically, government shutdowns have led to furloughs—temporary, unpaid leaves—but not permanent layoffs. The current move toward widespread RIFs marks a departure from that precedent.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also confirmed that multiple employees across its divisions had received RIF notices. In a statement to CNBC, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon characterized the layoffs as a direct consequence of what he called the “Democrat-led government shutdown.”
Government shutdown deepens as White House warns of mass federal layoffs
Nixon further claimed the department had become “a bloated bureaucracy” under the Biden administration, citing a 38% budget increase and a 17% growth in workforce. He said all employees receiving RIF notices had been deemed non-essential and suggested that the reductions aligned with the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which includes closing what he described as “wasteful and duplicative entities.”
Reports also indicate that employees at the Treasury Department have received RIF notices.
In response to the layoffs, labor unions representing federal workers swiftly pushed back. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union with over 800,000 members, including some in Washington, D.C., announced that legal action had been initiated. “The lawsuit has been filed,” AFGE tweeted in response to Vought’s announcement.
The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor federation, also weighed in: “America’s unions will see you in court,” it stated in a post on social media.
Since the shutdown began, Vought has used his social media platform to announce additional Trump administration decisions, including freezing or cutting billions in federal funding for infrastructure and programs in states and cities governed by Democrats.
Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration have consistently blamed Democrats for the shutdown and its consequences. Democratic senators, for their part, have refused to back a Republican short-term funding proposal, insisting that any resolution include the continuation of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.
According to the Partnership for Public Service more than 200,000 civil servants have been out of the federal government under the administration’s downsizing measures including terminations, retirements, and deferred resignation offers made to workers.
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Huma Nisar is Associate Editor at Views News Now. She also writes opinion articles on health, society and diet.
