Education Department to cut about 50% of workforce
CNN
The US Education Department will start sweeping layoffs beginning Tuesday evening, three sources familiar with the plan tell CNN, as President Donald Trump has proposed eliminated the agency altogether.
The US Education Department will start sweeping layoffs beginning Tuesday evening, three sources familiar with the plan told CNN, as President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the agency altogether. The department is expected cut about 50% of its workforce with notices starting to go out Tuesday evening, the sources said. The department employs around 4,400 workers. Tuesday’s expected cuts follow similar layoffs at other federal agencies as part of Trump and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency’s continued efforts to shrink the size of the federal government. CNN reported last week that White House officials have prepared an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of dismantling the department. Earlier Tuesday, the department told employees that its offices will be closed Tuesday evening and Wednesday for unspecified “security reasons,” according to a memo sent to all employees and obtained by CNN. Employees are instructed to take their laptops with them and vacate the building starting at 6 p.m. ET. The offices are set to reopen on Thursday, according to the memo sent by James Hairfield from the department’s office of security, facilities and logistics.
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