US Federal Agencies Instructed To Prepare For Significant Job Cuts

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US federal agencies have been instructed to prepare comprehensive workforce reduction plans as part of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative. The directive, issued on Wednesday, comes from top administration officials, with the memo signed by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and reviewed by AFP.

The document outlines a two-phase process for implementing large-scale job cuts across the federal government as mandated by Trump. Vought emphasized the need for reform, stating, “The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt.” He further criticized the allocation of tax dollars, claiming they are wasted on unproductive programs that benefit radical interest groups rather than supporting hardworking American citizens.

The memo directs federal agencies to collaborate with their Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team leads within each agency. These representatives, part of a department led by Elon Musk, have been granted broad authority by Trump to identify ways to reduce spending and restructure the government. Musk, the world's richest person, has previously warned that without such cuts, the United States risks going bankrupt.

So far, the Trump administration’s job cuts have primarily targeted probationary employees, who are newly hired or promoted civil servants with fewer protections than permanent federal workers. A buyout offer was extended to employees, giving them the option to leave with eight months' pay, or face potential termination in future layoffs. According to the White House, over 65,000 federal workers took up this buyout offer through the Office of Personnel Management.

Vought’s memo, reflecting his hard-right nationalist views, marks the formal beginning of expanding these reductions to the broader federal workforce of over two million employees. The memo requires agencies to submit preliminary reduction plans by March 13, with more detailed reorganization proposals due by April 14.

This action follows Trump’s executive order from February 11, which aimed at the “critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.” The memo outlines directives for agencies to eliminate redundant organizational units, reduce management layers, consolidate or close regional offices, and minimize dependence on contractors.

Among the specific methods for reducing staff, the memo suggests reviewing positions that were not deemed essential during past government shutdowns when Congress failed to pass budgets. However, certain roles, including law enforcement, national security, military, postal service jobs, and political appointees, are exempt from these reductions.