Elon Musk's DOGE Cuts 75,000 Federal Jobs, Over 19 Lakh Under Fire: How Much Money Is It Saving Donald Trump?

2025-02-14 03:18:04

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Several US federal agencies are facing surprise mass layoffs after President Donald Trump and his aide Elon Musk launched an unprecedented plan to slash the federal workforce. With the underlying goal of cutting costs borne by the government, the Trump administration is now seeking to slash workforces.

According to a Bloomberg report, Donald Trump has asked agency heads to work with Musk in order to“significantly reduce the size of the government” and“limit hiring to essential positions”. As per a White House fact sheet, agencies are not permitted to hire more than one employee per four people leaving the government.

75k jobs lost already

As per a report by Semafor quoting a senior official, about 75,000 people have accepted the deferred buyout program of the Trump administration, which offers over 20 lakh federal employees to be paid till September 30 if they resign within a specified date. The ones who do not accept will not be given“full assurance” regarding the continuation of their employment.

The original deadline was February 6, but was extended amid a legal pushback. A federal judge has now allowed the programme to continue.

The workers that have agreed to resign comprise 3.75% of the total workforce, and includes employees from agencies such as the CIA.

The first instalment of terminations has also seen probationary employees getting fired from their roles in key departments including Education, Small Business Administration, and Energy. As per Reuters, the official termination letters cite“public interest” as the reason behind the job cuts.

Department of Education sees firings, budget cut

The Department of Education, often a target of Trump's criticisms, has been slashing its budget across various departments. The agency has been cancelling contracts that are deemed irrelevant and firing its employees as part of its cost-cutting measures.

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