US: Trump Administration Lays Off Thousands of Probationary Federal Workers

In a significant workforce reduction, the Trump administration terminated thousands of probationary federal employees on Thursday in a widespread layoff affecting multiple government departments.

Probationary employees—those who have been with the federal government for less than a year, or in some cases, up to two years—have limited job protections and lack the right to appeal dismissals. Reports indicate that over 220,000 workers in probationary status have been employed across various federal agencies.

The layoffs impacted employees across several key departments, including the Department of Education, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the agency responsible for managing the nation's nuclear weapons fleet.

The Department of Veterans Affairs alone dismissed more than 1,000 employees from its approximately 43,000 probationary workforce. This move is expected to generate an estimated savings of about $98 million.

A comprehensive report detailing the total number of layoffs across the federal workforce is anticipated to be released soon.