Mass Layoffs Begin as HHS Restructuring Cuts 10,000 Jobs

The reorganization under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. consolidates agencies into a new office, disrupts public health programs, and eliminates collective bargaining rights.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun issuing dismissal notices, reducing its workforce by 10,000 positions through layoffs, with an additional 10,000 eliminated via early retirements and voluntary separations.
Key agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH are heavily impacted, with thousands of jobs cut, including leadership roles and entire divisions focused on public health and safety.
The restructuring consolidates several agencies, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, into a newly created Administration for a Healthy America.
Public health initiatives, including vaccine research, HIV programs, and minority health efforts, are disrupted as funding and staff are reduced, raising concerns about emergency preparedness and ongoing health crises.
The cuts follow an executive order from President Trump revoking collective bargaining rights for federal health workers, prompting legal challenges and criticism from unions and lawmakers.