In a major escalation of the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, layoffs of federal workers “have begun,” White House budget director Russell Vought announced in a social media post on Friday.
The statement was later confirmed by a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who described the reductions as “substantial.”
The U.S. government has already furloughed hundreds of thousands of employees since the shutdown began. But permanent layoffs during a shutdown are highly unusual, making this development particularly alarming for federal workers and their unions.
Unions representing federal employees have moved quickly to push back. Several groups filed for an emergency court order to temporarily block the terminations, arguing that the move violates long-standing labor protections and due process for federal workers.
The shutdown, triggered by a budget standoff in Congress, has already disrupted multiple government services across sectors, including transportation, national parks, and public health programs.
If the layoffs continue, the impact could ripple far beyond furloughed workers, affecting everything from agency operations to public services.
Federal employee unions are warning of widespread economic fallout if the layoffs are not halted, calling the decision “reckless” and “unprecedented.”
The situation marks one of the most tense phases yet of the ongoing government funding crisis.