WASHINGTON — In a significant restructuring effort, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday that it will eliminate 10,000 jobs.
The agency, which oversees vital public health functions such as monitoring infectious diseases, inspecting food and healthcare facilities, and managing health insurance programs for a large portion of the U.S. population, plans to reduce its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. This reduction includes 10,000 layoffs, alongside 10,000 positions vacated through early retirements or buyout offers extended to nearly all federal employees under the Trump administration.
The majority of the job reductions will occur within public health agencies. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food and medication standards, will see a reduction of 3,500 employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, responsible for tracking infectious disease outbreaks, will cut 2,400 positions.
Additionally, the National Institutes for Health, a leading public health research agency, will lose 1,200 staff members. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which manages health coverage for elderly and low-income individuals, will eliminate 300 jobs.
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