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The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to cut roughly 80,000 jobs in an effort to reorganize the agency and return staffing levels to pre-2020 numbers.
Some shit you should know before you read: Since President Trump took office, he has issued directives to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce, arguing that excessive government spending and bureaucratic inefficiencies have burdened taxpayers and hindered economic growth. As part of this effort, multiple federal agencies, including the IRS, USAID, and the Department of Education, have seen staffing reductions, hiring freezes, and voluntary early retirement incentives for long-serving employees. The newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has played a central role in evaluating and restructuring agencies, proposing that federal employment be cut by up to 500,000 positions over the next few years. Supporters argue that these reductions will curb wasteful spending, streamline operations, and return power to state and local governments, while critics warn they weaken essential services, delay tax processing, and diminish the US’s global influence.
What’s going on now: According to the Associated Press, citing an internal memo, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is planning to cut approximately 80,000 jobs as part of a major workforce reduction set to take effect in August. The VA aims to return staffing levels to pre-2020 figures, reducing its workforce from its current 482,000 employees (459,000 full-time staff) to roughly 399,000, the level it maintained before the Biden administration expanded hiring.
The department believes the cuts will save an estimated $83 million a year, which it plans to redirect toward veteran healthcare, benefits, and operational efficiencies. The reductions will reportedly focus on non-mission critical roles, administrative positions, and jobs associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
This comes as the VA expanded its workforce under the Biden administration, particularly to accommodate the increased demand for veteran services following the passage of the 2022 PACT Act, which extended healthcare and benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. In fiscal year 2023 alone, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hired 61,000 new employees, contributing to the VA’s current 482,000-person workforce.
