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Hundreds of thousands of government workers in Washington are unsure of what their future holds, because thousands of federal workers have been let go in a series of layoffs that occurred in the state in the 2026 fiscal year. From the Department of Education to USAID, all the agencies have seen major layoffs, while others such as the Department of Homeland Security have started hiring more employees. Here are the truths on the government sector for you, if you are a federal employee or planning on working for the government.
Quick Facts: Federal Workforce Layoffs 2026
- Agencies most affected: HHS, USAID, Social Security Administration, and the Department of Education.
- Agencies still hiring: Agencies that are still accepting applications: VA, DoD, DHS
- Primary driver: Cutbacks of the Trump administration government.
- Key platform for federal jobs: USAJOBS.gov
- High-risk jobs: Administrative, regulatory and foreign aid jobs
- Top sought-after positions: Cybersecurity, nursing, defence engineering, border protection
- Federal hiring freeze: The Federal hiring freeze is in effect for certain agencies starting mid-2026.
Why Are Federal Workforce Layoffs Happening in 2026?
The federal layoff news is the biggest restructuring of the U.S. government in decades. The attempt by the Trump administration to cut budgets has affected agencies that are deemed as “non-essential” in any activity that is associated with national security and operations domestically. The aim was to cut federal spending on salaries and benefits and to cut what critics termed an “overstaffed bureaucracy.”
Those departments involved with foreign aid, social services, and education have been hardest hit, whereas defence, veterans, and border security have largely escaped — or expanded — such cuts.
Which Federal Employees Are Most at Risk?
| Agency | Status | Roles at Risk |
| USAID | Severe cuts | Foreign aid officials, programme managers |
| Department of Education | Major restructuring | Policy analysts, administrative personnel |
| Health & Human Services (HHS) | Significant layoffs | Non-clinical public health and regulatory staff members |
| Social Security Administration | Staffing reductions | Claims processors and support personnel |
| Department of State | Downsizing | Jobs requiring foreign and diplomatic service training |
The highest-risk positions are those of employees working in regulatory, grant-making and foreign policy occupations. Those who rely on discretionary federal funding or international development programs are particularly vulnerable at this time due to a risk of federal job cuts.
Which Federal Agencies Are Still Hiring?
The shrinking of the government is not happening everywhere. While the hiring process in the federal government agencies and job postings for all federal employees have decreased, a number of agencies are still actively recruiting mission-critical positions.
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the busiest federal organizations and plans to hire personnel such as medical practitioners, nurses, and administrative professionals to work at veterans’ hospitals and clinics in the US during 2026.
- Department of Defence (DoD): National defense is an extremely motivating factor when it comes to recruiting engineers, logisticians, cybersecurity experts, and intelligence personnel. Job postings in the DoD are still very high.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS): The Department of Homeland Security along with ICE has been one of the few federal departments that have seen growth in terms of federal hiring. Positions such as cybersecurity and emergency management have a high demand.
Despite the overall agency restructuring in the federal government, agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration are still focused on digital talent, with project managers, data analysts and digital service fellows being top priorities.
Federal Employee Job Security: What Determines Your Risk?
There are a number of factors that affect the exposure of any individual federal employee to layoffs:
- Agency mission alignment: Job protection is greater for workers who are involved in agencies that are key to defence, security or veteran services.
- Role type: Nurses, border agents, IT specialists and other frontline service delivery roles are much safer than roles in the back office, where the regulatory and policy elements are in play.
- Attrition not being backfilled: Some agencies have a federal hiring freeze, and they aren’t cutting any of their employees just yet.
- Civil service protections: Career civil servants’ legal protections are greater than for contract workers or political appointees.
- Additional protections during government downsizing: Unionised federal employees enjoy extra procedural rights.
Comparison: Safe vs. At-Risk Federal Roles in 2026
| Category | At-Risk Roles | Relatively Safe Roles |
| Health | Public health policy analysts | The VA staff, including nurses, medical personnel, etc. |
| Technology | Legacy IT support | Cybersecurity, data science |
| Administration | Regulatory Affairs / Grant Management | Defence contracting, HR |
| International | USAID program staff | DHS border operations |
| Education | Federal education policy | Defence education programs |
FAQs: FY26 Federal Workforce Layoffs
Who will face the greatest number of layoffs for the federal agency in 2026?
The Social Security Administration and the Department of Education are the next biggest cuts, followed by USAID and HHS.
Are federal employees protected from layoffs?
There are a lot of legal safeguards in place for those who are career civil servants, and the present administration has implemented reduction-in-force (RIF) procedures, buyout offers, and restructuring to cut down on staff. The protection varies from agency to agency, from job to job.
Is the federal government still hiring in 2026?
Yes. Of course, there are a lot of federal workers laid off, but the VA, DoD, DHS and other agencies are still putting thousands of jobs on USAJOBS, especially in the healthcare, defence, and cyber fields.
What are the federal workers to do if they are at risk?
Keep an eye on the internal transfer opportunities on USAJOBS, learn what your civil service rights are, if you have one, find out from your union, and start keeping a record of your work. You can have more stability with transferring to a high-priority agency.
Is it likely that federal workers will be laid off in 2026?
The restructuring is still in progress. More agency-level announcements should be made throughout 2026, but it is likely that departments focused on defence and security will stay largely unaffected.
The Bottom Line
In 2026, the federal workforce has undergone a radical transformation that has fundamentally altered its definition of a “safe” government job. Now more than ever, the importance of agency, role and mission alignment. There’s a genuine uncertainty disturbing workers in fields beyond education policy, public health, and foreign aid — as nurses, engineers, cybersecurity professionals and border workers are in demand. The most crucial step you can take is to be informed and take action:
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