The Veterans Affairs (VA) Department plans to lay off tens of thousands of employees later this year, as revealed in an internal memorandum. The department will conduct a comprehensive review of its mission, organization, and structure in partnership with the Department of Government Efficiency to create a workforce optimization plan. VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek emphasized that the department intends to reduce management, bureaucracy, and its overall footprint, while enhancing workforce efficiency.
VA Plans Major Staff Reductions, Targeting 83,000 Layoffs
The upcoming layoffs are intended to align the workforce with the department’s revised mission and structure. VA’s workforce currently stands at 482,000 employees, including 459,000 full-time workers. The department plans to cut up to 83,000 positions, targeting staffing levels similar to those of fiscal year 2019, which had 399,000 employees. Notably, over 25% of VA employees are veterans.
This decision follows two executive orders issued by President Trump calling for workforce restructuring across federal agencies. Under the Biden administration, VA experienced significant staffing increases, particularly within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which hired 61,000 employees in fiscal year 2023 to meet the demands of veterans newly eligible for care and benefits under the PACT Act. However, hiring slowed in fiscal 2024.
Rep. Mark Takano Slams VA Staff Cuts as ‘Betrayal of Veterans’
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., criticized the VA’s plan, describing it as a betrayal of veterans. He argued that reducing staff to pre-PACT Act levels would harm the department’s ability to provide essential services, including healthcare, claims processing, and education benefits for veterans.
