The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is facing massive layoffs that could see nearly a quarter of its workforce eliminated since President Donald Trump took office this year. Over the weekend, the agency mistakenly sent layoff notices to about 1,300 employees on Friday night, later retracting around 700 of them after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) attributed the error to a “coding mistake.” However, approximately 600 employees are still expected to lose their jobs as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts during the ongoing federal government shutdown, now entering its second week.
Union leaders condemned the move as illegal and harmful. “These firings during a federal shutdown are a callous attack on hardworking Americans and jeopardize public health,” said Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883, which represents CDC employees. She noted that Human Resources staff were forced to send themselves reduction-in-force (RIF) notices, while mental health professionals assisting employees affected by the August 8 CDC Atlanta shooting now face termination as well.
The layoffs come amid earlier job cuts and voluntary retirements, bringing the CDC’s total workforce reduction to roughly 24% since January, according to union officials. Entire departments—such as the CDC’s Washington office, which liaises with Congress, the CDC Library, and the Office of Safety, Security, and Asset Management—are being eliminated. Initially, the layoffs also affected staff responsible for the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, though some dismissals were later reversed.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has previously spread vaccine misinformation, has overseen multiple rounds of layoffs and rehiring. Critics argue these cuts undermine vital public health infrastructure. Referring to remarks by Trump budget chief Russ Vought that federal workers should “feel trauma,” Jacobs remarked, “This administration has certainly delivered on that promise.”