(MENAFN- Live Mint) In line with Donald Trump's earlier warning amid a prolonged government shutdown, the White House announced on Friday, October 10, mass layoffs of federal employees. The layoff tactic is reportedly being implemented to intensify pressure on Democrats to resolve a government shutdown that has paralyzed public services. The shutdown entered Day 10 on Friday.

With no breakthrough in sight, Budget Director Russ Vought said on social media that the administration had started executing its plan to dismiss some of the 750,000 federal workers who had been on unpaid leave.

The Office of Management and Budget told AFP the layoffs would be“substantial”. He, however, shared no more details on the number of federal employees who would be laid off and which departments would be most affected.

Referring to reduction-in-force plans, Vought said on the social media site X that the“RIFs have begun."

US shutdown layoffs: Who is impacted?

An official told AP that the Education Department and health department are among hit by layoffs due to shutdown. Treasury Department too is witnessing layoffs.

Communications director Andrew Nixon said that employees across Human Services divisions, too, have received layoff notices.

Nixon said the layoffs were targeted at those who had been furloughed. "HHS continues to close wasteful and duplicative entities, including those that are at odds with the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda," he said.

The announcement came days after Trump said he was meeting Vought to determine which agencies“he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent.”

The president has repeatedly emphasized that he views cutbacks as a way of increasing pain on Democrats.

Earlier, the Trump administration had indicated that it will start mass layoffs if negotiations with Democrats over shutdown are“absolutely going nowhere,” a senior White House official said.

Trump, too, had warned that many federal workers could be laid off if a funding agreement is not reached.“We may do a lot and that's only because of the Democrats,” Trump said.

Also Read | White House warns federal layoffs could start if Trump sees shutdown talks failing

Federal workers' unions demand halt to layoffs

As mass layoffs were announced by the White House amid the government shutdown, unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal employees have petitioned a court to block the mass layoffs.

They have asked the US District Judge, Susan Illston to release an order, asking the Office of Management and Budget from ordering agencies to carry out the firings and halting officials from issuing layoff notices before the judge holds a previously scheduled hearing on Oct. 16.

(With agency inputs)

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