Overview
- About 1,300 CDC employees received reduction‑in‑force notices Friday, roughly 700 were later rescinded, and more than 600 terminations are now paused under a court order.
- A federal judge in Northern California temporarily blocked enforcement of shutdown‑era firings and further terminations, with a hearing set later this month.
- Remaining cuts targeted staff in chronic disease programs, the ethics office, communications and policy teams, the Washington office, and employee support services, while rescissions covered the MMWR team, EIS, immunization and global health units, and some outbreak responders.
- The CDC has lost about 3,000 workers this year through resignations and layoffs, roughly a quarter of its workforce, according to union figures confirmed by agency officials.
- HHS says the actions stem from the shutdown, labels affected roles non‑essential, and attributes some notices to a coding error, while unions and former officials argue the moves undercut surveillance and emergency response.