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Veterans Affairs Abandons Mass Layoff Plan to Cut 30,000 Jobs Through Attrition

Sustained pushback from lawmakers plus veterans compelled the VA to adopt attrition-based cuts under President Trump's efficiency mandate.

Signboard of United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington DC on March 25, 2019.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia, testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on Jan. 21, 2025. President Trump nominated Collins as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Overview

  • The VA will use a federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition to reduce its workforce by nearly 30,000 positions by September 30.
  • Attrition has already lowered staff from about 484,000 in January to 467,000 by June, with nearly 12,000 more exits expected before fiscal year end.
  • Secretary Doug Collins assured that all mission-critical roles are exempt to safeguard uninterrupted veteran health care and benefits processing.
  • Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Mark Takano warn that such deep staff declines risk backlogs and delays in vital services for veterans.
  • The shift comes after bipartisan opposition, veteran protests and legal challenges prompted the agency to seek alternative staffing reductions.