Commerce Sought to Cut 20% of Staff Without Using Layoffs

The Department of Commerce sought to reduce its staff by 20 percent in response to President Trump’s executive mandate, but without using a reduction-in-force (RIF). According to Government Executive, Commerce submitted a plan to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that would eliminate 10,000 positions through a combination of deferred resignation, firing of probationary employees, elimination of vacant positions, and voluntary early retirement. In the months following these cuts, former and current NOAA officials reported that personnel shortages were negatively impacting weather services offices and NOAA's Global Forecast System.