The Trump administration has directed US federal agencies to prepare for extensive workforce reductions under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, according to a memo issued on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
Signed by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, the document outlines a two-phase plan for large-scale reductions in force as ordered by President Donald Trump.
“The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt,” Vought wrote, arguing that taxpayer dollars were being wasted on unproductive and unnecessary programmes that benefit radical interest groups.
The initiative is spearheaded by Elon Musk’s DOGE department, which has been granted broad authority to slash spending and restructure the government.
Musk, who has repeatedly warned that the US risks bankruptcy without drastic cuts, has backed the effort.
So far, the job cuts have primarily affected probationary staff—newly hired or recently promoted employees with fewer job protections.
A voluntary buyout programme offering eight months’ pay was introduced, attracting over 65,000 federal employees before expiring.
With Vought’s memo, the administration is now expanding its downsizing efforts across the more than two million-strong federal workforce.
Agencies must submit initial workforce reduction plans by March 13, followed by comprehensive restructuring proposals by April 14.
The directive follows Trump’s February 11 executive order calling for a critical transformation of the federal bureaucracy.
Agencies have been instructed to consolidate duplicative units, reduce management layers, merge regional offices, and cut reliance on contractors.
Jobs deemed non-essential during government shutdowns have been flagged for elimination, while law enforcement, national security, military, postal service, and political appointee roles remain exempt.
