128,709 federal workers laid off or targeted for layoffs
CNN tracked at least 128,709 federal workers laid off or targeted for layoffs by June 26, 2025. The New York Times reported over 58,500 confirmed cuts, 76,000 employee buyouts, and 149,000 other planned reductions totaling 12% of the 2.4 million civilian federal workforce. This represents the most aggressive federal workforce reduction in modern American history, exceeding the Reagan administration’s cuts. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities argues these mass layoffs are not only unprecedented but potentially illegal, as they may violate congressional appropriations and statutory requirements.
Sources & Citations
[3]
Trump says 'a lot' of federal workers are being laid off during government shutdown
· Oct 10, 2025
Tier 2
Tiers
Tier 1 court records & gov docs ·
Tier 2 established outlets ·
Tier 3 regional & specialty press ·
Tier 4 opinion or single-source.
Methodology →
Cite this entry
The Cascade Ledger. “128,709 federal workers laid off or targeted for layoffs.” The Capture Cascade Timeline, June 15, 2025. https://capturecascade.org/event/2025-06-15--federal-layoffs-128709-workers/