Approximately 10,000 HHS employees were laid off as part of a restructuring effort, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledging that roughly 20% of these cuts were erroneous. The reinstatement of wrongly terminated personnel, including those from the CDC’s Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, is underway. This correction aligns with the DOGE task force’s initial plan to account for potential mistakes within the 80/20 cut model. The impacted programs and specific individuals targeted for reinstatement remain largely unclear, though some FDA employees have already been temporarily rehired.
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February’s job cut announcements reached a 12-year high, totaling 172,017, a 103% increase from January. Government sector cuts, primarily driven by the Department of Government Efficiency’s actions, accounted for a significant portion (one-third) of the total, with a staggering 41,311% increase from the previous February. These cuts, alongside bankruptcies and economic uncertainty, fueled the surge in layoff plans. While initial jobless claims remain low, the ADP report showed a significant slowdown in private sector hiring, suggesting potential weakening in the labor market.
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Following the recent layoff of approximately 700 to 750 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) probationary employees, the agency rescinded termination notices for roughly 180 individuals, instructing them to return to work. These reinstated employees included outbreak responders participating in fellowship programs. While this reversal is welcome, the exact number of remaining terminations remains unclear, and concerns persist regarding the broader impact of government-wide job cuts. Further details from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding these personnel changes have yet to be released.
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fired approximately 5,200 probationary employees, a move attributed to administration efforts to restructure the federal government. This included nearly 1,300 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), impacting roughly one-tenth of its workforce and significantly affecting the Epidemic Intelligence Service. While some specialized staff may be retained, the layoffs sparked concern among experts about potential disruptions to public health initiatives. The action follows the recent appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to oversee HHS.
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John Q. Hosedrinker