Here’s Where Trump’s Government Layoffs Are Targeted—As NOAA Reportedly Set To Cut 20% Of Staff
Sara Dorn
Forbes
Mar 9, 2025, 09:28am EDT
Topline The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is set to lay off approximately 20% of its workforce, The New York Times reported—the latest round of terminations that come after President Donald Trump reportedly told Cabinet secretaries that they, rather than Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, have ultimate authority over their departments’ mass firings.
Key Facts
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: The Trump administration has directed NOAA to lay off approximately 1,000 workers on top of 1,300 workers that have already been laid off, The New York Times reported March 8, cutting approximately 20% of the agency’s workforce—which sources cited by the Times feared would affect the agency’s weather forecasting work ahead of hurricane season and other potential natural disasters.
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Central Intelligence Agency: The agency has started to fire some probationary employees, multiple outlets reported, after firing some diversity staffers last month who had been placed on leave as part of the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government—it’s unclear what prompted the latest round of firings, but a federal judge ruled last week that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had the authority to fire officers at will.
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Department of Veterans Affairs: The VA’s chief of staff, Christopher Syrek, reportedly said in an internal memo viewed by the Associated Press the agency is aiming to get down to 2019 staffing levels of around 400,000—which will require removing around 80,000 positions—and officials should prepare for a reorganization in August that will “resize and tailor the workforce to the mission and revised structure.” The reported reorganization comes after the agency announced about 2,400 probationary employees were dismissed in mid-February in two waves.
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