Mass layoffs at FDA, CDC, other US health agencies as Trump begins to restructure health dept

The mass restructuring plan, earlier announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is under the broad plan of US President Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to shrink the federal government and slash spending via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

This is a difficult moment for all of us at HHS. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. But the reality is clear: what we’ve been doing isn’t working. Despite spending $1.9 trillion in annual costs, Americans are getting sicker every year. In the past four years…

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) April 1, 2025

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week announced the job cuts in the department and informed that 10,000 workers would be laid off and through voluntary departures, the workforce in the health department would come down to 62,000 from 82,000.

Kennedy in a post on X stated, “Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs. But the reality is clear: what we’ve been doing isn’t working,” adding that the departures were necessary in order for the health department to focus on its goal to prevent chronic disease.

Hundreds of employees wait in line wrapped around the outside of the Health and Human Services headquarters building, Tuesday morning, in Washington. (AP Photo/Amanda Seitz)

According to a BBC report, the health workers started to get information about the lay offs as early as 05:00 EDT (10:00 BST) on Tuesday.

The White House last week detailed the job cuts in some high profile institutes, like FDA would see 3,500 full-time employees being laid off, 2,400 workers from CDC would be fired and 1,200 employees of NIH would see their jobs gone.

A report by Reuters stated that the Trump administration has also fired FDA staff who were involved in the government’s response to bird flu.