VA planning 83,000 layoffs as part of restructuring
Veterans Affairs is planning to lay off as many as 83,000 people this year as part of a department-wide restructuring, a leaked internal memo has revealed.
The memorandum was distributed to leaders within the VA on Tuesday, a report from Government Executive confirmed. The outlet said the VA will work with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to slash staff, in what is being touted as a move toward “increased workforce efficiency.”
The memo added that the agency intends to “move aggressively” to make changes, meaning more jobs could be cut in the near future.
After the report from Government Executive was released, the Associated Press confirmed with sources that the internal communication was real, adding that the changes are slated for August.
According to official statistics, the VA employs 473,000 people, nearly 30% of whom are military veterans. The goal of DOGE is to reduce that number to fewer than 400,000.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the VA has made significant staff cuts, albeit limiting layoffs to probationary workers. In February, the VA axed 1,000 jobs, only to dismiss another 1,400 employees less than two weeks later.
The agency said it strictly eliminated jobs that were deemed “non-mission-critical positions,” adding that it still has 40,000 probationary workers, many of whom are in roles that provide direct service to veterans.
The downsizing was limited to those who had served in the VA for less than two years. However, if more than 80,000 roles are eliminated, non-probationary workers will also face job losses before the year’s end.
In public statements, leadership at the VA has been adamant that it will not be cutting services. It remains to be seen if that’s actually true, as the full restructuring has yet to take place.
HealthExec reached out to the VA for comment.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.