The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday it will avoid the mass layoffs that had threatened to eliminate more than 80,000 positions, instead reducing its workforce by 30,000 employees through voluntary departures by the end of September. The scaled-back plan eliminates the need for widespread involuntary reductions in force that had drawn criticism from veterans' groups and lawmakers since the Trump administration first outlined the cuts in March.
The reversal spares roughly 50,000 jobs from the original proposal, which would have slashed the agency's workforce by approximately 15 percent to return staffing to 2019 levels.
The VA has already reduced its workforce by 17,000 employees since January through a federal hiring freeze, early retirements, and normal attrition1. The department expects another 12,000 departures by September 30 through the same voluntary mechanisms, plus a deferred resignation program that allows employees to take paid leave for months before leaving government21.
"Since March, we've been conducting a holistic review of the department centered on reducing bureaucracy and improving services to veterans," VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement3. The agency maintains that more than 350,000 positions remain exempt from the hiring freeze and all mission-critical roles are protected from cuts1.
The workforce reduction represents a dramatic shift from the VA's original strategy disclosed in an internal memo from Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek in March1. That document, leaked to Government Executive and other outlets, directed agency leaders to work with the Department of Government Efficiency to achieve an "aggressive" downsizing through reductions in force beginning in August21.
The initial plan aimed to return the VA to its 2019 staffing level of roughly 400,000 employees, rolling back hiring that occurred after the 2022 PACT Act expanded benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances21. According to The Washington Post, the change comes "after blowback from several veterans' groups, Congress and VA staffers who warned that an agency with less manpower and fewer resources would negatively impact veterans"3.
The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents many VA workers, celebrated the announcement1. More than a quarter of VA employees are veterans themselves, and the department employs roughly 467,000 people as of June, making it the largest federal agency23.
The revised approach leaves the VA with approximately 454,000 employees by October, representing a 6 percent reduction from the start of 20254.
