The administration of U.S President Donald Trump has urged federal agencies to prepare for widespread layoffs as part of a government reform.
In a memo issued Wednesday, White House Budget Director Russell Vought and Acting Office of Personnel Management Director Charles Ezell directed department chiefs to submit plans for “large-scale reductions in force.”
The document branded the federal government as “costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt,” stating that public money is being spent on “unproductive and unnecessary programs” that “benefit radical interest groups while hurting hard-working American citizens.”
The first round of agency restructuring plans is due on March 13, and will focus on early staffing cuts, budget reductions, and consolidation of “duplicative” divisions.
The second phase, which begins on April 14, will include additional labour cutbacks and the potential relocation of federal offices from Washington, DC to lower-cost places.
The entire strategy is scheduled to be implemented by the end of September.
According to reports, thousands of probationary staff have already been fired in recent weeks as part of a cost-cutting campaign spearheaded by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency team.
Over the weekend, Musk instructed employees to respond to an email explaining their positions by citing their weekly successes. Those who did not answer were informed they could face termination.
At his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, attended by Musk, Trump expressed support for the campaign, saying staff who did not respond to the email “are on the bubble.”
