After Losing 20,000 Employees in 2025, HHS Begins New Hiring Efforts

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lost approximately 20,000 employees in 2025. Roughly half of those who left accepted the administration's deferred resignation officer and the other half were laid off. Following these resignations and terminations, HHS initiated a campaign to hire new staff and, as of Mid-April 2026, had hired 10,000 employees and planned to hire another 12,000, which would increase its staffing above the level at the start of the Trump administration. HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy told the media that the newly hired employees were a "better group of people" who were more aligned with Trump.