WASHINGTON: The United State Department of Health has announced plans to lay off 10,000 permanent employees.
This decision follows the voluntary resignation of 10,000 staff members, and as a result, the department’s permanent workforce will decrease from 82,000 to 62,000.
Major restructuring is also underway, including reducing the number of the department’s 28 branches to 15 and cutting regional offices from 10 to 5.
These measures are expected to save the U.S. government $1.8 billion annually.
U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized that the restructuring goes beyond reducing bureaucracy, it is aimed at realigning the department with its core mission and new priorities. He assured that the department would operate more efficiently at a lower cost.
According to reports, employees are expected to receive layoff notices on Friday.
It’s important to note that the Trump administration had previously carried out similar layoffs across various departments, including the Department of Education and USAID.
