Overview

• Approximately 40 NIOSH employees focused on coal miner health and firefighter safety have been temporarily rehired through June 2 after mass layoffs earlier this month.
• The layoffs, stemming from a Trump-era workforce reduction mandate, had eliminated most of NIOSH's 1,000-person staff, disrupting critical safety programs.
• Senator Shelley Moore Capito and AFGE Local 3430 have called for full, permanent restoration of NIOSH personnel and programs, citing their importance to public health and economic stability.
• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged mistakes in the layoffs and has faced ongoing pressure to reverse the cuts entirely.
• The temporary reinstatement leaves long-term decisions unresolved, with affected employees still listed for termination in early June.