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Workers at a handful of agencies have begun receiving notifications that they are part of the “reduction in force” directed by the president, after a wave of firings that targeted probationary workers.
- Feb. 25, 2025Updated 7:59 p.m. ET
The next phase in the Trump administration’s effort to rapidly downsize the federal work force was well underway on Tuesday as confusion roiled through the ranks over how employees should respond to an ultimatum from Elon Musk to justify their roles or be fired.
Since Sunday afternoon, at least three independent agencies have formally alerted staff members of upcoming dismissals through a “reduction in force” process ordered by President Trump, according to emails shared with The New York Times and employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.
That process, part of Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk’s large-scale plan to make drastic cuts to the number of federal employees across the country, follows the firing of thousands of probationary workers. Mr. Musk, the tech billionaire, is Mr. Trump’s right-hand man in this extraordinary effort.
Reductions in force typically mean a significant elimination of roles as part of a restructuring at the agency.
So far, the early “reduction in force” round includes cutting 144 people at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in offices across the country. The General Services Administration has plans to cut 30 to 40 people, with notifications going out to individuals by the end of the week. And on Sunday, the U.S. Agency for International Development notified its staff that some 2,000 employees based in the United States would be cut.
“I regret to inform you that you are affected by a reduction in force (RIF),” the aid agency’s acting director, Peter Marocco, wrote in a standard letter to the employees affected by the cuts. “This RIF action does not reflect directly on your service, performance or conduct.” Mr. Marocco said it was part of an agency restructuring to “better reflect” the priorities of U.S.A.I.D. and foreign policy.
