Health Department Cutting 10,000 Jobs in Restructuring Plan/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will cut 10,000 jobs as part of a sweeping restructuring plan announced Thursday, reducing its total workforce by nearly a quarter. The layoffs, along with early retirements and buyouts, will impact critical agencies like the FDA, CDC, and NIH.
HHS Restructuring Plan: Quick Looks
- Total Workforce Reduction: From 82,000 to 62,000 employees
- Layoffs Announced: 10,000 positions eliminated
- Additional Reductions: 10,000 early retirements and buyouts
- FDA Impact: 3,500 job cuts
- CDC Impact: 2,400 job cuts
- NIH Impact: 1,200 job cuts
- CMS Impact: 300 job cuts
- Reason for Cuts: Part of Trump administration’s broader federal downsizing effort
Health Department Cutting 10,000 Jobs in Restructuring Plan
Deep Look
Massive HHS Restructuring Slashes 10,000 Jobs Across Key Public Health Agencies
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday a large-scale restructuring initiative that will result in the elimination of 10,000 jobs, marking one of the most significant federal workforce reductions in recent history.
The restructuring plan, part of a broader federal streamlining effort by the Trump administration, will reduce HHS’s workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 employees. In addition to the layoffs, another 10,000 employees are expected to leave through early retirements and voluntary buyout programs offered across all government agencies.
The brunt of the staffing cuts will impact frontline public health and research institutions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tasked with ensuring the safety of the nation’s food and drugs, will lose 3,500 employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), responsible for tracking infectious disease outbreaks and setting health guidance, will cut 2,400 positions — raising concerns about future pandemic preparedness and response capabilities.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a global leader in biomedical research, will shed 1,200 staff members, potentially slowing research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, and rare diseases. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which manages healthcare coverage for millions of Americans, will see 300 jobs eliminated.
An HHS spokesperson said the cuts are aimed at “realigning agency priorities and reducing administrative overhead,” but critics argue the move could jeopardize national health security and limit access to crucial public health services.
Health policy analysts have expressed alarm over the scale of the reductions, noting that while efficiency is important, the U.S. public health infrastructure is already stretched thin following years of pandemic response and growing demand for services.
The Trump administration has made government downsizing a centerpiece of its second-term agenda, directing federal departments to identify redundancies, outsource certain functions, and prioritize fiscal efficiency. The HHS reductions come just weeks after similar downsizing announcements at the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency.
While the HHS restructuring plan is set to roll out over the next few months, unions representing federal workers are expected to challenge the layoffs, calling for congressional oversight and warning of the potential impact on public safety and health.
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