Workforce
A time machine tour of civil service reform
COMMENTARY | From Washington to Trump, every era has redefined the rules of federal employment. If you could set the clock, which version of the merit system would you choose?
CDC has shed one-quarter of staff even as it recalls some laid off workers
Agency tells court that states are not suffering "irreparable harm" from cuts even as agency leaders lament "operational disruptions" and "loss of expertise and capacity."
Breaking News
Trump administration resumes layoffs, targeting National Archives staff
Employees warn of impacts at presidential libraries and on records retrieval.
Breaking News
Judge blocks State Department layoffs
The Trump administration has sought special dispensation to imminently cut staff at State, but employees won a—potentially short-lived—reprieve.
The Trump hiring plan wants to fix federal jobs, but it might just make things worse
COMMENTARY | The administration’s new approach promises faster, fairer hiring. But with old-school rules and political essay tests, it could actually make the process harder for everyone. There is another, better way.
Employee groups challenge ‘favorite EO’ question as agencies begin rollout
Experts warn that the Trump administration’s new essay questionnaire for most federal job applicants amount to a litmus test to politicize agency hiring.
Exclusive
VA signs $700K agreement with OPM for assistance with mass layoffs
The department lacks expertise for such a large reduction, it says, and RIF planners confirm VA leadership is not offering clear guidance.
Trump’s push for executive order loyalty risks undermining the federal workforce and the Constitution
COMMENTARY | Federal workers are being asked to prove their loyalty to Trump’s agenda, but history shows that when politics overtakes merit, government performance suffers.
NASA renews its push to slash its workforce
The agency would give employees accepting deferred resignations an extended deadline to collect pay while not working.
OPM recommends telework, other flexibilities for D.C.-area feds ahead of military parade
The Trump administration previously took pains to end the regular use of telework by federal workers earlier this year.
Updated
Unions and advocacy groups protest veteran job cuts, warn of downstream impacts
The Trump administration is planning to cut around 15% of staff at the Veterans Affairs Department.
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Agencies ready to move quickly on RIFs if court block falls
Across government, behind-the-scenes preparations for layoffs have taken place or are ongoing.
Federal workforce advocates flood opposition to renewed Schedule F
With just a day remaining before the deadline to submit comments on the Trump administration’s proposed Schedule F regulations, the vast majority of more than 30,000 submissions were opposed to the measure.
The evolution of telework in the federal government: A cautionary tale
COMMENTARY | How early telework gains during the pandemic collided with post-COVID realities inside federal agencies.
Trump administration debuts permitting modernization plan, even as staff cuts could jeopardize it
The new plan builds on Biden-era work, but how implementation goes during Trump-era workforce reductions remains to be seen.
CISA projected to lose a third of its workforce under Trump’s 2026 budget
The White House’s latest spending proposal projects nearly 1,000 jobs will be slashed at the nation’s lead civilian cyber agency. Related cyber and intel programs across government also face funding rollbacks.
Feds on the job hunt are taking advantage of professional development opportunities tailored to them
Initiatives are focusing on topics ranging from wellness and career coaching to artificial intelligence.
State Department ‘appears’ to be violating court order by issuing layoffs as soon as June 13, judge says
The Trump administration says it has paused planned RIFs at 17 agencies, but State is “a special case.”
Appeals court: Has Trump neutered the Civil Service Reform Act?
A three-judge panel on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals revived a lawsuit challenging the gag order on federal immigration judges in light of the president’s decision to fire the U.S. special counsel and members of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
Trump is planning to slash 107,000 federal jobs next year. See where
New details in the president's budget detail some of the proposed workforce reductions, though the final cuts will likely be steeper.
