With the start of a new presidential administration, many federal workforce cuts have been made, affecting families around the country. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has laid off around 15% of federal employees within the last three months, amounting to more than 250,000 jobs being eliminated.
The cuts have been mostly new hires as well as employees for Americorps, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Education and Health and Human Services (HHS). These drastic changes have increased tensions for federal employees, and have left many families feeling uncertain about the future. Nathan Li, a WCHS freshman whose parents both work for the federal government, is feeling the effects of being surrounded by layoffs.
“Although neither of my parents were laid off, they are both extremely concerned and bothered with these recent changes because they are causing distress within their agencies,” Li said. “Not to mention, they are worried that the layoffs will worsen the federal government’s effectiveness.”
This fear is not unfounded as many agencies have either been downsized or consolidated under new organizations. The Administration for a Healthy America has merged many agencies under HHS. These agencies include: the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. As a result, thousands of employees in these departments have either lost their jobs or been left uncertain about their futures.
“Fortunately the layoffs have not particularly been affecting my day-to-day life yet,” Li said. “But, they have been affecting many people around me. For example, my neighbor’s father has been laid off.”
The Department of Education, which employs about 4,400 people nationwide, has had nearly half of its workforce cut, and many other agencies have had the same occur. For MCPS families that rely on government agencies for both income and support services, this poses a difficult challenge. For freshman Steven Lawson, the uncertainty is taking its toll.
“Many of our families are tied directly to federal work,” Lawson said. “When someone loses their job, it does not just affect that family’s income and future plans, it impacts their mental health too.”
For some younger students, these changes could massively impact their futures and even their college plans. This weighs on families as they continue with work and school and saving up for their children’s college tuition. Although legal challenges have been made to the legitimacy of the DOGE agency, the layoffs continue for the time being.
“This is a new experience for me, the possibility of economic instability,” Li said. “In truth, I am greatly worried about what effect this will have on my life as well as others.”
Federal employment has been a huge part of why many move to the DMV area. With hundreds of thousands people being laid off and significantly more in danger of layoffs, federal job security has surely taken a hit recently, which directly affects a large number of DMV residents. Some families, preparing for the worst, have rescinded some plans in favor of a financial cushion. This could surprise many who have not experienced this level of instability in their lives and potentially cause further stress for those involved.
“We had planned to go down to Florida for spring break, but my mom ended up calling it off because many of her coworkers just got fired,” Lawson said. “It does not really bother me though, I am just worried if she is going to be all right with the size of her team dwindling.”
While the situation is still developing daily, and its effects on students are still unfolding, what is clear is that the decisions made in the capitol are more than just political, they are personal, especially for the students walking the halls of WCHS.
“To be honest, I am frustrated and worried that the change in government power has had this strong of an impact on federal departments,” Lawson said. “I am worried that if this continues the government will only be adding to future joblessness and degrading its efficiency.”
