NOAA Begins Laying Off Hundreds of Staff Members

NOAA Begins Laying Off Hundreds of Staff Members

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has started laying off hundreds of probationary employees, as part of a larger wave of job cuts within federal agencies, according to three sources familiar with internal operations, as reported by The Hill.

The layoffs, which are expected to affect between 560 and 1,830 workers, had been planned for at least a week and were contingent upon the confirmation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who oversees NOAA. The agency had a permanent workforce of 11,758 in fiscal 2023, meaning these cuts could impact more than 10 percent of its employees. Sources indicated that the firings began Thursday and are expected to continue into Friday.

Termination notices for probationary staff, which includes both recent hires and those recently promoted, began going out around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to one of the sources.

Earlier this month, staff members from the Elon Musk-affiliated Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were reportedly seen in NOAA offices before Lutnick's confirmation. While Lutnick has denied any plans to dismantle the agency, the conservative governance blueprint known as Project 2025 calls for privatizing and redistributing much of NOAA's functions. Although President Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 during his campaign, he has appointed several of its key architects, including White House budget director Russell Vought.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the leading Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, condemned the layoffs in a statement on Thursday.

“Musk’s misguided mission is halting vital programs. People across the country rely on NOAA for accurate forecasts, severe weather alerts, and emergency information. Cutting these programs and purging experts and career civil servants will cost lives,” Huffman said. “My Democratic colleagues and I will continue fighting this in courts, Congress, and the court of public opinion. This is a betrayal of the American people, and it will not stand.”

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