what fired federal workers can expect now

by Alison Green on February 27, 2025

With federal workers who have been fired or laid off by the Trump administration now numbering in excess of 200,000, one question is on most of their minds: What now?

At Slate today, I wrote about why what’s ahead of these workers is daunting, and how they can approach a private sector job search after a career in public service. You can read it here.

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  2. Kesnit*

    One thing that I thought of is that federal jobs qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

    I’m almost 8 years into my PSLF. I’ve had the month of my last payment engraved in my brain for years. (It’s been extended a few months because of issues with the SAVE Plan, but it’s still there.) I cannot imagine getting so close, then being forced into a private company and suddenly facing the possibility of decades more of payments.

    For anyone in that situation, I am so sorry. I wish you all the luck in finding a job that will let you continue with your 120 payments.

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    2. TeenieBopper*

      Depending on their field, I would imagine finding a qualifying job to range from relatively easy to relatively difficult. As someone who’s 70ish payments in, I can say that it’s been relatively difficult finding jobs in the non-profit space as a data analyst. However, the same company I did most of my time so far with also had 700+ social workers and therapists on staff and were always looking for more.

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    3. Tippy*

      I didn’t even think about that. I haven’t met my 120 payments yet but I do have my time, 14 years, in and the application is in and has been partially approved (I have the date when they’ll say I’ve met the 120). I will be beyond pissed if they cancel it all.

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    4. Elizabeth West*

      UGGGGGGHHH

      As someone who lucked out when Biden’s administration did the IDR adjustment, I am sending all the vibes that somehow, y’alls loans just mysteriously go *POOF*.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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    5. I'm just here for the cats!!*

      I know! I work for a state university so I qualify. I’m only 4 years in, but OMG If they take this away I will be ticked! And I think there could be lawsuits. Afterall, many people took or stayed in federal or state jobs, which are often lower paying, because of the promise of loan forgiveness.

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  3. JustCuz*

    Quick question: When do they update the job loss numbers and unemployment rate? Because the unemployment rate proper has been steadily low. But the new jobs has been stagnant. like 2010 level stagnant. Adding these numbers into this job market is going to catastrophic. People are already starting to default on loans at a greater rate, even prior to inundating the job market with the unemployed. I want to see these markers, cuz did this administration just push us into a major recession? Like its very sad that people are losing jobs en-mass, and the ramifications for democracy are objectively scary, but the long term ramifications to the stability of the working class to physically provide for themselves and survive is depressing.
    Look. I am a “geriatric millennial”. My class was graduating college the year greed tore down our economy and shredded it to ruin. Life was so hard. It was unbelievable hard, and people suffered greatly. Is this happening again?

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    2. bleh*

      Worse things are happening this time. It is a few idiot billionaires trying to boost the wealth of themselves and their compatriots causing it now. Last time at least a bunch of people had enjoyed houses that they couldn’t afford (they were lied to) for a while.

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    3. Ann O'Nemity*

      The latest jobless claims report was released today, showing an increase. However, federal worker-specific data lags by a week, and this week’s report doesn’t indicate a significant increase compared to the previous week. Unemployment reports, which are released monthly with a delay, will next be available around the first week of February.

      Overall, the data suggests a continuation of the stagnation we’ve observed for months. While the economy is slowing, there are no signs of a crash yet.

      Analysts note that the full impact of federal terminations hasn’t surfaced in the data yet. Instead of a sudden spike, we’re likely to see a gradual increase in unemployment over the coming months. The broader economic effects will take even longer to materialize, though some cities are already preparing for the fallout.

      For example, in Kansas City—where the federal government is the largest employer—economic development experts predict a 2-to-1 impact. This means that for every federal job lost, two additional private-sector positions could be eliminated. This multiplier effect occurs because federal jobs generate economic activity that supports other local jobs. So it’s going to take awhile before we really see the economic impacts.

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      2. AnotherOne*

        yeah, I saw some politician in Alabama (I think) whose response to concern was essentially we have defense industries here and the space force is probably still moving to the area.

        It was a sorta- dude, if the gov’t is firing gov’t workers those are both going to be impacted.

        i get pretending it’s all fine when the building is just starting to smoke but if a building is on fire, does how on fire matter?

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    4. PenguinWrangler*

      I actually feel like this is a feature not a bug for the Republican Administration. The people who voted them in wanted this to happen, or at least were OK with it happening. Now they have cover when the unemployment rate rises because the economy is failing, to be able to point to them and say oh that’s just all the federal workers we hired, or the corporations firing their DEI teams that they don’t need anymore, or any other lie they want.

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      1. Carys, Lady of Weeds*

        Oh, absolutely. The point is power and money, and desperate, impoverished people are easily controlled. In my opinion, we’re heading into an economic crisis on the scale of the Great Depression, not just the Great Recession. A Greater Depression, the best depression, better than any seen before, if you will (insert gif of Kristen Bell laughing then crying)…

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        1. Ally McBeal*

          “Desperate, impoverished people are easily controlled” … until we unite around the fact that the culture wars in this country aren’t about race or gender but about class. What happened in France in the 1700s can happen again.

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      2. JustCuz*

        Its so counter to Trump’s general voter base. In my area, they voted for Trump because they see him as someone who will help them financially. Less taxes from their paychecks to federal programs and a boost to their 401K investments. Like literally 90% of the people in this uber conservative area that I live in voted for Trump for these two beliefs. 100% of them (obviously) do not base these beliefs on anything near logic or reasoning. So, it is actually ironic how badly they read this situation for themselves. And when it starts to fall apart, they still will never admit they made a mistake in their value systems or who they voted for. There is always someone else to blame. As if these federal workers just materialized out of space in time lol and never needed any job anywhere. And are now burdens on us all.

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        1. PenguinWrangler*

          This is the most frustrating part to me, is the post-truth society we live in means nobody will ever have to take responsibility for the situation, or ever have to admit that there is value in a different way of doing things. Each successive presidency is just about erasing as much as the previous guy did regardless of how well or poorly it was working, and railroading as much of your own agenda forward as possible without considering the full extent of the drawbacks.

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        2. CommanderBanana*

          ^^ This. And they’ll line up to vote again for someone who is destroying them, again, because their imagined Black or brown boogeyman is more real to them than what is actually happening to them.

          Read Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild.

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    5. Another Geriatric Millennial*

      I’m also feeling a deja vu with all of the AI overvaluation. I had just started in local government when the housing bubble burst. The effects weren’t immediate, but staffing levels never recovered during the 7 years I worked for the county. I’m just starting a new career in state government and I’m bracing myself for the impact of the coming recession.

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    6. Casino Royale*

      push us into a major recession?

      Hon, we’ve been in a major recession. We never really left it. Now we get to be in **another Depression** (imagine sparkle emojis).

      You know how our grandparents had the Great Depression of the 1930s, THEN the WWII of the 1940s? We’ll we’re going to have ALL of that, ALL at once. It’s going to be great, and by “great,” I mean it’s going to suck. A lot. Only this time we’re the Germany which sucks even more because we’re dumb AND evil.

      I’d say that I hope the price of eggs going down was worth selling out America’s soul but oh right! Eggs just skyrocketed again! Because the price of eggs (or gas, housing, etc) never had anything to do with presidential candidates to begin with! Because American voters are racist and sexist idiots, who have damned all of their fellow citizens.

      Yay.

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  4. leeapeea*

    I work in the AEC sector and I’m seeing many industry job boards have waived their fee for job posts specifically to help those affected by federal layoffs find jobs. I guess the idea is that companies (like mine) will choose to promote more jobs on these boards since it won’t affect the recruiting budget. It’s not a lot, but it’s something.
    I also worked for a local municipality for about a decade and I know several states are on a hiring freeze due to the uncertainty of federal funds, municipalities may not be and those jobs share many similarities with the federal employment process.

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    1. FricketyFrack*

      I also work in municipal government (and have worked at all levels *except* federal) and we’re still hiring. I don’t know if they would open up anything heavily dependent on grant money, but we still have a decent amount of openings, even leaving out the seasonal hiring we’re starting.

      I wish everyone impacted by this, except the ones who voted for it, a speedy job search. Or maybe that one of the other two branches grows a spine, but I think the job hunt part is more likely. This is such an infuriating and unfair situation.

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  6. Bonkers*

    “Federal workers—who are likely used to jobs that are actually real—might find this transition particularly rocky, especially now that the private sector is being flooded with ex-feds.”

    Strongly disagree with Alison here – having gone through USAjobs job searches a few times now, most posted jobs ghost you or get back to you months later. My husband has been a fed for 10 months (and might be getting fired soon, thanks Elon!), and he just heard back from the IRS last week.

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    1. Nicosloanica*

      The good news I think is that getting a non-government job *may* be faster and more flexible than the ExFeds are used to. I’ve been nonprofit most of my career but occasionally looked at USAJobs in my sector. I got most of my nonprofit jobs by applying on Idealist, sending a resume and cover letter, going through one or two zoom interviews, and that’s it, can you start this week. The few times I tried through USAJobs it was much more slower, more rigid, with a lot more burdensome application process.

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      1. Nicosloanica*

        Also, I assume nonprofits will try to absorb some of the federal functions being lost. We have always tried to fill gaps and there are going to be more gaps. While the source of funding is still up in the air, it’s possible nonprofits will expand their roles to try to pick up stuff (this is already happening, I noticed today that a nonprofit is now hosting the formerly-EPA EJScreen tool, which is an online database I use in my work) and will be thrilled to take on workers experienced in these roles. However, it will still be quite an adjustment as nonprofits can be let’s say a lot more freewheeling than Federal jobs.

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      2. CommanderBanana*

        It absolutely will be. The federal hiring process is a trash fire.

        It took me over a year from application to start date for a fed job – and it wasn’t even a permanent one, it was a fed position with a time limit – and I had the clearance required and a friend in HR who could keep an eye on the process. I ended up only staying there a few months.

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    2. Arrietty*

      The point wasn’t that government recruitment is better, just that the number of fake jobs being advertised is lower. Not being contacted doesn’t mean the role wasn’t real.

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      1. NotmyUsualName*

        This – my kid was looking for jobs last year and a shocking number of phishing schemes are flying in as jobs. I had to quickly educate him on what information he could and could not submit prior to having some actual contact. He had 2 jobs where he physically showed up for an interview for jobs that did not exist.

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        1. Anonymous Cat*

          Did they have him interview and then tell him there’s no job?

          I don’t understand the point of doing things like that, for anyone. Even if they don’t care about wasting peoples time, they wasted their own time and effort pretending there’s a job.

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  7. Someone Online*

    As someone who is a hiring manager I would immediately understand why someone who worked for the federal government was let go in spring of 2025 and would not hold any negative performance review during this time period against them. And if a supervisor did have that attitude, it’s probably a sign of willful ignorance and a poorly run HR office.

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    2. 2 Cents*

      Same with people who are being let go from Meta for “poor performance” as an extra kick in the tush when they’re down. Couldn’t Zuck have just trimmed without saying they were slackers? Because clearly not all of them were (some have posted their very recent performance reviews to LinkedIn where it showed they were meeting expectations or excelling).

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  9. Road Tripper*

    Some may be lucky to transition into a local government job. It may pay less than a federal job, but the role translation may be easier. Still no 10 page resume, so that will still need to be culled. I am thinking of the NP forestry worker … NYC jobs also include forestry.
    It’s just a thought of another avenue for these folks to try.

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    1. Fire Country*

      In California, legislators are proposing to expand the permanent fire and forestry workforce, so there might be additional openings for workers with those skills, and, as I understand it, CalFire pays better than the feds. For the time being, state employment would be a good avenue to pursue, but that could change depending on how federal budget cuts impact the states.

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  10. OlympiasEpiriot*

    A big problem is that a lot of the typical jobs that ex-fed workers would gravitate towards also get some federal funding. Lots has been “paused” or might be entirely lost.

    In the not-so-very long run, the total jobs lost due to this baloney will be a lot more than just the number of fired federal workers, I fear.

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    1. Nicosloanica*

      Yeah I worry about that for my fed friends who say they hope to work in universities. I think we’ll be seeing a lot of layoffs in that sector soon as the administration targets them next, unfortunately.

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      1. Mallory Janis Ian*

        I’ve been afraid of that for the faculty and staff at the university where I work. Many of my friends and colleagues work on the grant side of things, with some of their positions being soft-funded by the grants on which they work. And our governor, Sarah *uckabee Sanders (if you catch what we Arkansans call her), is hand in glove with Trump so no telling what she is planning to do to us.

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      2. Higher Ed-itor*

        Oh dear; I’m senior staff at a major public university, and we just got notice that we’re in a full hiring freeze (even currently open searches have to be re-approved by central HR) and we’re anticipating massive budgetary upheaval over the next two years at least. Luckily my department is only partially funded by federal grants so we’re managing to keep our core functions going by reducing community-oriented programs, but I would not see higher ed as a stable landing place at ALL right now.

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        1. Blue Pen*

          Research positions (and especially health/medical research positions) aside, I would say job searchers might fare a little better looking at the big-big private schools—e.g., the Ivies. It’s definitely still going to be hard, but institutions with sizable endowments should be “OK.” Again, not great, and they’re going to take a massive hit no matter what if those NIH cuts pass through, but jobs at those institutions might be an option depending on where you are.

          I would steer clear of state/public schools, though, and I genuinely fear for their survival.

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          1. Meaningful hats*

            State university employee here. We are all on the struggle bus right now. It really is a day-by-day, who knows what will or won’t exist tomorrow operation at the moment.

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      3. emmelemm*

        Yeah, most universities have been in a real bind for a while. They’re unlikely to be able to step in and absorb a lot of new employees.

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  11. Purple Stapler*

    There are several fed employees in my circle who were remote until the RTO. They keep mentioning they want to find something in the private sector that’s remote. I think they’re going to be in for a rude awakening on the remote thing. They seem to think tons of remote jobs still exist.

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  12. another fired fed*

    One quick clarification: the 200k number cited in this article is an estimate of the total number of fed workers on probation. Not all of those people have been fired so far (I’m one of the unlucky ones)—we expect the numbers to climb but they are not that high yet.

    Otherwise, thanks for the piece. It is pretty daunting, especially as the new regime is directing agencies to draw up formal RIF plans that will target many thousands more employees with tenure.

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    1. nnn*

      The article linked for the source of that # says it’s the total number fired so far, not the total number on probation.

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      2. another fired fed*

        Yes, that article is also incorrect. The mistake has been floating around a lot. Estimate so far is closer to 30k. That’s not to say I don’t expect them to try to dump everyone but we’re not at that point yet.

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    2. Hastily Blessed Fritos*

      Important note: “on probation” makes it sound like a PIP or poor performance or something. Most of the feds fired so far were “probationary employees” which literally just means recent hires – in their first year for most positions, sometimes their first two. (This often also applies to people who get a new position within the government, and in some cases apparently even a promotion!)

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      1. State worker*

        In my experience, “on probation” is common usage in government that doesn’t have any connotations of poor performance; it simply means you are still in your probationary period. I can see how it could be misunderstood by the public because of the word’s association with the justice system, but I don’t think the usage is incorrect.

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  13. Usually lurking*

    One thing that I don’t think is being fully considered is the stability of any jobs they might get. State and local governments may still be hiring, but at some point they will need to reconcile budgets that assume federal assistance with whatever they do or don’t actually get, meaning they will likely need to make tough choices. Private firms who work closely with feds are usually the most eager to hire former feds, but all work that is linked in any way to federal funding or relies on federal workers or data is in a very uncertain situation right now. Many private firms are also having hiring freezes or layoffs while still trying to figure out how impacted they are. I am certain that hiring in heavily federal-adjacent and regulated industries is very slow right now and more layoffs will come. My firm has lost some federal and partly-federally-funded contracts, but we have several others that are at risk of future cancellations. So there are also lots of affected private employees in competition with the former Federal workers and more of those will come. I am worried that the affected workers who do find new jobs are going to be at risk of losing their new jobs again when further layoffs happen and they are the newest, unproved employees.

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    1. Nicosloanica*

      True, and at least where I am, it seems the tech sector is still a bit shaky from all those contractions they had over the last year or so. That’s too bad particularly for folks looking for remote work – that used to be a reliable sector for that.

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  14. Nicosloanica*

    I have to be honest, as someone who lives in the DMV (DC Maryland Virginia region) if I were fired today I would probably be looking outside the region. We have a lot of bright and accomplished legal and policy experts here, and a lot of people who want to stay remote. I think the odds will be better (and cost of living lower) elsewhere for a while. Since many of the workers note that they picked up their lives and moved for their jobs, I’m hoping they still have options back home.

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    1. Constance Lloyd*

      Dual fed household living in the DMV, and we’ve already agreed that if even one of us loses our job, we have to break our lease and move across the country to live with my parents while we search for new jobs. We can’t stay here on one 5 figure income.

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    2. CommanderBanana*

      Yeah, my partner has a job that ties them here, but I’m now fully remote. If we didn’t have to stay here for his job (fortunately very stable, and one that very few people can fill because of the clearance level) I would probably put my house on the market and leave.

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  15. Susan*

    I worked in the federal government in the past, and everything in this column is correct. That’s what is so frustrating about the “meritocracy” argument. The federal government is much more diligent about hiring by merit than the private sector is.

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    1. NYer*

      I think there are all types of jobs and workers in the federal government. The NTEU (union for many people) has constantly fought the IRS for the number of accounting courses IRS agents have to have. They do not have to meet the same standards that many accountants in the private sector do. Many of these people will have trouble finding jobs in private sector.

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      1. doreen*

        I’m not sure why they would have trouble finding jobs, either in the private sector or state/local government. They might not qualify to take the CPA exam but a lot of accountant jobs don’t require a degree in accounting.

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          1. Doreen*

            Sure , it’s a tough job market. But I thought you were talking about them not being qualified for jobs as accountants, which exist in all sorts of businesses and government agencies. Not tax preparation, which is what H&R Block does.

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  16. Em*

    Thank you! I’m not gone yet but there’s a high chance. What’s hard is the federal government has welcomed workers who are disabled if we qualify to do the job. I worked a long time to find a job that wouldn’t try to find an excuse to fire me if I needed to take FMLA or sick leave. I finally found it, and I know how hard it will be to find another.

    Also was a military spouse for over a decade and am the spouse of a 100% P&T disabled veteran now that he’s retired, but everything we gave to this country doesn’t matter to the public anymore. It’s just so sad. Neither of us voted for this; we knew they would do exactly what they threatened to.

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    1. old curmudgeon*

      May I make a tiny adjustment to your comment that “everything we gave to this country doesn’t matter to the public anymore”?

      I am part of “the public,” and I am here to tell you that all you and your spouse have given of yourselves to this country matters a helluva lot to me. I salute you and thank you both for your service, and I hate worse than I can say what is happening to our federal employees. I know – boy, howdy, do I know! – exactly how good you have to be to get and keep one of those jobs, and I know exactly how hard you work for all of “the public,” and I am eternally grateful to you.

      Now, if you want to rephrase that to read “everything we gave to this country doesn’t matter to the BROLIGARCHY anymore,” I will absolutely cosign with you. They don’t give a damn about anything except their tax breaks, policing the genitalia of the non-broligarchy, and ensuring that non-white and non-male members of “the public” relearn how to be properly subservient to our lords and masters.

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    2. Funko Pops Day*

      Please know that many, many of us are still deeply grateful for your service and sacrifices, and didn’t vote for this either. I’m so sorry that we’ve let you down.

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  18. doreen*

    Look at industries that are heavily regulated and subject to significant government oversight, which can include anything from pharma to agriculture to finance. Here, experience from the regulator side can provide an advantage.

    For people who worked in regulatory agencies in particular – check the post-employment restrictions. I worked for state and local government and the restrictions are never as simple as “if you worked for the agency regulating llama grooming , you can’t work for a company that does llama grooming.” There are all sorts of exceptions and it might be just fine to work for the company that does llama grooming as long as you don’t communicate with your former agency., for example.

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    1. NYer*

      Many employers will be concerned that under Trump, enforcement actions will decrease, and many people will no longer have any contacts at agencies.

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    2. NYer*

      Many companies are expecting fewer enforcement actions under Trump and will be slow to expand their staff dealing with oversight. Others may be concerned that the applicants co-workers have all left too, and that the applicant may not have many contacts left.

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    3. Bonkers*

      Boy, that would be a real kick in the shins. “You’re fired, and also you can’t work in any of these adjacent industries. Good luck, and thank you for your service!”

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      1. Doreen*

        That’s why I’m saying they should check- it’s often not that you can’t work in the adjacent industries , just that you can’t do certain specific things. But it’s not uncommon for people to think the restrictions are broader than they really are.

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  19. My Boss is Dumber than Yours*

    Just to be clear, a not insignificant number of these people voted for this to happen. I’ve got zero sympathy for them, and kinda hope they never do get another job.

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    1. Bonkers*

      My FIL is a MAGA guy, and now his son (my husband) is likely going to get laid off. It is HARD to even look at him right now. I have to bite my tongue to keep the snark from getting out.

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      1. My Boss is Dumber than Yours*

        Honestly, let it out. That dude voted for his son to lose his job because I guess justifying his racism and hatred was more important.

        Sorry about your husband, and I hope your family lands on their feet.

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  20. Elizabeth West*

    I ran into one of my bus buddies yesterday at the train station — I hadn’t seen her in a while, and we sat together until my stop. She works for the EPA, and while she still has her job currently, she was pretty apprehensive about the future. She said “All I can do right now is whatever I’m allowed to do.” :\

    My heart goes out to y’all. <3

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  21. Anonymous Cat*

    I read somewhere that if federal workers are fired for performance, that makes them ineligible for rehire for federal jobs. Is that true?

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  22. Undine Spragg*

    Alison, when do federal workers qualify for unemployment? As I understand it, poor performance is not a reason to deny unemployment. And I have a vague impression that, at least in some states, if you were employed X number of weeks in the past 52, you are eligible — it doesn’t have to be in the same job. Could you speak to that? — probably a lot of people who are eligible are unaware that they qualify. Particularly people who are “probationary” because they got a promotion should absolutely get down to the unemployment office (or website) first thing.

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  23. Doreen*

    They will qualify under the same rules as anyone else, which depend to a certain extent on the state. The state they live in will administer their benefits – which will be paid in full by the US government. Which is another thing that’s stupid about this – the Federal government pays the full benefit , so how much will they even save?

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