Trump Makes It Easier to Fire Thousands of Federal Employees

Trump Makes Federal Worker Layoffs Easier

8,000 Public Employees Reclassified

Government Cuts Continue

President Donald Trump signed an executive order modifying the employment status of nearly 8,000 federal employees who hold positions considered highly responsible in policymaking.

The measure turns these workers into employees with indefinite contracts, a classification that makes it easier for the federal administration to dismiss them.

Why it matters: The change represents a new action by the Trump administration to reform the structure of the federal government and increase the ability to replace officials involved in political and regulatory decisions.

According to information provided by the administration, approximately 97% of the reclassified positions correspond to high-ranking professional roles.

Federal Employees Move to New Job Classification

Firing federal workers just got easier. Trump EO targets 8,000 workers https://t.co/AafX0vhXOr

— USA TODAY Politics (@usatodayDC) June 4, 2026

Among them are directors, chiefs of staff, senior advisers, and policy analysts, according to USA Today.

These officials participate in drafting government regulations and guidelines.

They also take part in decisions related to the allocation of federal grants and other public policy determinations.

The order was signed by Trump during an event held on June 3 in the Oval Office.

During the ceremony, the president invited James Sherk, a member of the Domestic Policy Council and the main promoter of the initiative, to explain the reasons behind the measure.

White House Argues Federal Worker Layoffs Are Too Difficult

President Trump signed an executive order reclassifying about 8,000 senior federal workers and making it easier to fire them for any reason, despite criticism that the move would politicize the civil service. https://t.co/DCuIRVEv6d

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 4, 2026

Sherk said current procedures for removing federal employees are often long and complex.

According to him, agencies face difficulties when trying to remove workers who, in his view, do not properly perform their duties or act against the priorities established by the administration.

“If you have employees who are trying to undermine the wishes of the American people by advancing their own interests, or who are simply incompetent at their jobs, agencies often have difficulty getting rid of them. And that is a particular problem,” Sherk said.

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The White House also defended the measure through a statement.

The document argued that the difficulties involved in firing federal employees have caused agencies to rarely dismiss career officials.

The statement said this situation has allowed employees described by the administration as responsible for the alleged “subversion of presidential priorities” to remain in place.

Fewer Employees Affected Than Initially Expected

The number of workers included in this reclassification was lower than previous estimates made by the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM.

In February, OPM estimated that about 2% of the entire federal workforce could be reclassified under the category known as Policy/Career Classification.

That estimate was equivalent to approximately 50,000 federal employees.

However, the final figure announced by the administration is close to 8,000 workers.

The executive order comes amid a broader reduction of the federal workforce during the second term of president Trump.

Since the start of this presidential term, the federal government has eliminated more than 300,000 public administration jobs.

The cuts have been carried out through dismissals, voluntary separation payment programs, and deferred resignation offers.

These actions have been coordinated together with the Department of Government Efficiency.