The Trump administration has announced a sweeping workforce reduction at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), placing nearly all employees on leave worldwide and eliminating around 1,600 positions in the United States.
According to an email from the Office of the Administrator, about 1,600 employees will be laid off as part of a “reduction in force” effort, BBC reported.
The decision follows previous attempts by President Donald Trump to fire thousands of USAID workers, which were initially blocked by legal challenges. Although a federal judge had temporarily halted the move, a ruling on Friday determined the pause would not be permanent.
As per an internal notice obtained by AP, all USAID direct-hire personnel—except those handling mission-critical functions, core leadership, or specially designated programs—will be placed on administrative leave starting at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 23, 2025. However, it remains unclear how many employees have been classified as critical and will be exempt from the decision.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, has been pushing to scale back USAID, which plays a key role in U.S. “soft power” and international aid efforts.
USAID’s deputy administrator Pete Marocco, appointed by Trump to oversee the agency, stated that 600 U.S.-based employees would remain to coordinate travel arrangements for staff and their families abroad, AP reported.
