Federal Government Shutdown Looms: 750,000 Workers Face Furloughs and Job Cuts Amid Trump Administration Threats
Federal Government Shutdown Looms: 750,000 Workers Face Furloughs and Job Cuts Amid Trump Administration Threats
An estimated 750,000 federal employees are facing furloughs as a federal government shutdown takes hold, the first since 2018. Many workers, already ‘on edge for months,’ are now grappling with the Trump administration’s threats of sweeping job cuts, according to labor attorney James Kirwan.
Government shutdowns cause widespread disruption, affecting both public services and the livelihoods of federal staff. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, warns that a prolonged shutdown will deepen financial strain for many families, pushing more towards food banks already stretched thin.
Kirwan, who organizes with the Federal Unionists Network, emphasizes the emotional and financial toll on federal workers, many of whom earn less than $100,000 annually. They are often forced to deplete savings, incur credit card debt, or take out loans while awaiting back pay. The added fear of permanent termination compounds their distress.
The Trump administration has faced criticism for ordering agencies to draft plans for mass firings, with President Trump suggesting he would use the shutdown to ‘get rid of a lot of things we didn’t want.’ This follows reports of over 100,000 federal workers resigning as part of a deferred resignation program.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has already announced a ‘reduction in force’ (RIF) program, affecting approximately one percent of its workforce. At the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only about 1,700 out of 15,000 workers are expected to remain active during the shutdown, leaving critical preventative work undone.
Federal employees, like Colin Smalley of the US Army Corps of Engineers, feel their livelihoods are being used as ‘pawns’ in a political standoff. The Trump administration aims to cut the federal workforce by about 300,000 by year-end, a significant reduction not yet fully reflected in job reports due to the shutdown.
In response to the firing threats, labor unions filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging the moves are unlawful and an attempt to pressure Congress and punish workers. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, condemned the administration’s ‘appalling’ contempt for federal employees, many of whom are military veterans dedicated to public service.
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