Department of Veterans Affairs layoffs total 2,400 positions in February

On February 14, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dismissed more than 1,000 employees and then dismissed 1,400 on February 24 as part of President Donald Trump‘s efforts to shrink the federal workforce.

According to the VA, mission-critical positions were exempt in both rounds of layoffs and the workforce reductions will enable redirection of more than $83 million in annual health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.

“These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many veterans, families, caregivers and survivors as possible. These moves will not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In fact, veterans are going to notice a change for the better. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping the department fulfill its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.

Mission-critical positions include Veterans Crisis Line responders. Non-mission critical include any DEI-related positions.

The 1,400 employees dismissed this week were bargaining-unit probationary employees who have worked for the VA for less than one year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment.

The VA will continue to hire more than 300,000 mission-critical positions which will be exempt from Trump’s federal hiring freeze.

Nearly 40,000 probationary employees work for the VA, and most of them were exempt from the February 24 round of layoffs because they serve in mission-critical positions, such as supporting benefits and services for beneficiaries.

Some VA employees had already elected to participate in the Office of Personnel Management‘s (OPM) deferred resignation program and were exempt from the recent round of layoffs. VA layoffs are in line with Trump’s goal to make federal agencies more efficient, effective and responsive for Americans.

The VA is refocusing its mission on providing the best possible care and benefits for American veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.