The Education Department has slashed nearly half its workforce as part of the Trump administration’s plan to ultimately eliminate the agency, leaving 1,950 employees jobless and offices temporarily closed due to security concerns.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 50% of Education Department staff (approximately 1,950 employees) have been terminated, reducing the workforce from 4,133 to about 2,183 employees.
- Affected employees will receive full pay and benefits until June 9, plus severance or retirement benefits based on length of service.
- Education Secretary Linda McMahon cited efficiency, accountability, and redirecting resources to students as reasons for the reduction.
- The department has closed offices for “security reasons” and impacted employees are on administrative leave starting March 21.
- The workforce reduction aligns with President Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate the department and return education control to states.
Mass Layoffs Implemented as First Step Toward Department Elimination
The Department of Education has executed a sweeping reduction-in-force (RIF), terminating approximately 1,950 employees—nearly half of its workforce. This dramatic downsizing has decreased the department’s staff from 4,133 employees in January to roughly 2,183 today. The terminated employees have been placed on administrative leave beginning March 21 and will receive full pay and benefits through June 9. Department officials have closed offices across the Washington D.C. metro area and beyond, citing security concerns during the transition period.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon characterized the massive staff reduction as part of a broader effort to enhance educational outcomes across America. In an official statement, she described the move as a “significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”
BREAKING: The Education Department is about to initiate layoffs of about 50% of its workforce of 4,400 employees beginning Tuesday evening.
President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the entire agency and returning education to the states.
Onward!https://t.co/cbcMzoTOjC
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 11, 2025
Employee Transition and Compensation Plans
The department has structured a comprehensive transition for affected employees. Prior to the formal RIF, nearly 600 staff members had already voluntarily departed through programs like the Deferred Resignation Program and voluntary buyouts of up to $25,000. Those impacted by the involuntary layoffs will receive “substantial severance pay or retirement benefits based upon their length of service,” according to department communications.
Employees holding telework agreements may continue working remotely, while others have been instructed to take their laptops home. Additionally, 63 probationary employees were terminated last month, ahead of the larger reduction.
“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” said McMahon.
Strategic Alignment with Trump Administration Goals
The workforce reduction represents a key component of President Trump’s broader campaign promise to abolish the Department of Education and return control of education to states and local communities. It was reported last week that the president may soon sign an executive order outlining further steps toward department elimination. While complete abolishment would require congressional approval, the administration has begun implementation through executive actions.
“We are focusing on eliminating full teams whose operations are either redundant or not necessary for the functioning of the department,” a senior Department of Education official stated. “We have an incredible leader in Secretary [Linda] McMahon, who has built a multibillion dollar global business and has handled restructuring several times before.”
Officials cited poor student test scores despite significant federal spending as justification for the department’s downsizing and eventual elimination. The administration appears committed to Secretary McMahon’s directive to accomplish the “elimination of bureaucratic bloat” quickly and responsibly, as part of what she termed “a momentous final mission” for the department.
