Government Initiates Mass Layoffs at Multiple Agencies During Shutdown

The Washington Post reports on more than 4,000 employees at seven agencies being laid off in October 2025. Agencies included the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of the Treasury. Government Executive also listed the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce. Highlighting the partisan intent underlying the purge, the Washington Post reported: "President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Friday that he was laying off 'people that the Democrats want,' adding any additional cuts would just deepen pain for the political left. [ ] 'It’ll be Democrat-oriented because we figure, you know, they started this thing,' he said."