Musk’s time in the government is coming to a close, but what does that mean for the federal employees who have been fired? Elon Musk’s tenure over DOGE has seen record numbers of federal employees lose their jobs. What once was a guaranteed safe bet in terms of employment no longer holds the same luster that it did even just a year ago. However, that does beg the question of what happens to government services now? So, with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the numbers behind everything and what it means going forward for the government’s public services.
Breaking Down the Numbers
At the time of this writing, it’s estimated that Musk and Trump have eliminated the jobs of around 120,000 federal employees. This is a substantial amount, comprising 4% of the federal workforce, going by 2024 numbers. In broader terms, this is around 0.7% of the total workforce across the country being affected by the cuts and slashes applied by Musk, Trump, and DOGE at large.
Legal Action
As you might expect, there have been some lawsuits and legal action taken to get things reversed. Many federal employees weren’t given an option, being dismissed outright as soon as DOGE personnel arrived at their places of employment. Now, some of this legal action has resulted in the firings being reversed, notably for employees who were just starting. However, it still doesn’t bode well for the future of the federal workforce given the massive upheaval taking place.
Claims and Approvals
One of the many areas where we can see the squeeze taking place is in agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA usually helps military veterans receive medical assistance and other vital services. However, there has been a substantial increase in the time needed to get things approved in the first place. Likewise, we’re seeing agencies like the Food and Drug Administration take substantially more time to approve new medicines and drugs.
Grinding to a Halt
Many federal agencies have been outright gutted. This, in turn, has led to a nightmarish scenario where there simply aren’t enough people there to do any sort of meaningful work on a larger scale. They’re doing their best just to keep the lights on and keep whatever mechanisms in place operating as intended.
Staff Reductions in Vital Services
The FDA and VA aren’t the only offices affected by these massive layoffs. A reduction in federal employees has taken place in just about every substantial department you can imagine. Vital services like Social Security have been massively disrupted thanks to the layoffs.
Efforts to Reshape the Federal Workforce
Musk and Trump’s stated goal to reduce waste and reshape the modern federal workforce seems to have been done without much rhyme or reason. Without taking a harder look at the data, it seems that most things have been done purely for the sake of doing so. Further, what was once assumed to be protected positions doesn’t seem to have the same guards in place to prevent these mass firings.
Disruption of Vital Services
I previously mentioned Social Security, but that isn’t the only vital service in the domain of federal employees. We’re also talking about things like financial assistance, healthcare, and regulatory functions for the likes of businesses to operate under.
Controversy
There has been no shortage of controversy regarding the mass layoffs of federal employees. Given the systematic approach to these terminations, it seems almost deliberate to court the maximum amount of controversy from the American public. Federal agencies have been gutted, as I previously stated, and there seems to be no recourse at this time to get things back to an effective level.
Schedule F
One step President Trump is taking toward eliminating even more federal employees is invoking Schedule F. This is the recertification of federal employees to make sure they have fewer civil service protections. In turn, this makes it even easier to fire said employees when all is said and done.
Confusion and Demands
There has been no shortage of confusion given how swift some of these firings of federal employees have been. Musk has gone so far as to demand an accounting for the work done by employees, without giving much time for a response. This has resulted in firings where employees have had minimal time to get in touch to try and keep their positions.
Potential Long-Term Effects
A loss of talent is a challenge for any organization. However, as it sits right now, this can pose long-term problems for any federal agency. Experienced employees are a source of institutional knowledge, and the sudden loss of those employees can result in a total brain drain of the workforce.
What the Future Holds
It’s difficult to tell what happens next with federal agencies. As it sits right now, a delayed response to any sort of action is to be expected. Employees simply aren’t there to do the same level of work expected of them as it has been over the last few years.
Mass Firings of Probationary Employees
One of the bigger controversies noted is the firing of probationary federal employees. Ultimately, these are workers who are just getting their start in the federal workforce. There have been court orders to reverse these mass firings, but it’s only a matter of time before something like Schedule F leads to these people having to go on the hunt for a job again.
Buyouts
One area of note is the buyout of government contracts by Musk and DOGE. Rather than allow continued employment, they’ve opted to pay out quite handsomely to get federal employees out of their positions. There hasn’t been a universal acceptance of this practice, but some employees have taken it.
What Comes Next?
This is one of those times when a crystal ball would come in handy. Federal services have been crippled essentially, and there is no recourse in sight for what can be done to mitigate the damage. One can only hope there is an effort in the future to reduce the impact the firing of federal employees has to get government services to those who need them.
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