Business & Economy
|
Business & Economy
|
|
|
Thousands of workers fired in Trump, Musk federal purge
|
Agency leaders across the federal government were directed to begin firing employees still in their probationary period a year or more after being hired. |
Federal employees remain on probation anywhere from one to two years after being hired, depending on their agency, a status that still comes with workplace protections but makes them easier to remove. The directive by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials could impact as many as 200,000 federal employees.
A source familiar with OPM said agency leaders have directed agencies to fire all probationary employees “with some exceptions.” It was not immediately clear what those exceptions were or the extent of discretion given to agencies.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, pledged to fight the layoffs, saying they would hinder government performance. Some of the agencies that have announced dismissals:
The Trump administration has also used two other methods to cull the workforce: an executive order from President Trump directing agencies to undertake a reduction in force and the “Fork in the Road” program offering federal workers a buyout.
Agencies across government, including OPM, have already begun carrying out their layoffs of probationary employees.
Reports from numerous outlets spelled out plans to fire probationary workers at the Department of Energy, the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration.
It’s not clear whether such widespread firings of employees still on probation is legal.
The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch takes it from here. |
Welcome to The Hill’s Business & Economy newsletter, we’re Aris Folley and Taylor Giorno — covering the intersection of Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
|
|
|
Key business and economic news with implications this week and beyond: |
|
|
Two government watchdogs have launched audits into the new Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to a sensitive federal payment system located at the Treasury Department. |
| |
|
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon scolded employees Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, during a fiery internal town hall, after workers raised concerns with the bank’s five-day return-to-office policy, according to audio reviewed by The Hill. |
| |
|
Jeff Bezos’s aerospace company Blue Origin plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce, its CEO told staff Thursday, according to an email obtained by The Hill. |
| |
|
A new survey from Bankrate revealed that 33 percent of U.S. adults have more credit card debt than emergency savings. That number is down from 36 percent in 2024 and 2023. |
| |
|
Welcome to Tax Watch, a new feature focused on the fight over tax reform and the push to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts this year. |
House panel advances budget resolution |
The House Budget Committee advanced a budget resolution after a marathon meeting Thursday, clearing the first hurdle in the GOP conference’s effort to pass President Trump’s legislative agenda.
The panel approved the budget resolution in a party-line 21-16 vote, sending it to the full chamber for consideration. It remains unclear when Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) plans to bring the measure to the floor; the House is out of session next week and is set to return to Washington on Feb. 24.
Passage of the budget resolution marks a significant step forward in the House GOP’s quest to enact Trump’s domestic policy priorities in one sprawling bill, a measure that would extend his 2017 tax cuts, appropriate more money for the border and pass energy policy. Republicans are looking to utilize the budget reconciliation process, which would allow the party to circumvent Democratic opposition in the Senate.
The successful committee vote came after days of logjam in the chamber, with hard-line conservatives demanding deeper spending cuts, leadership blowing through a number of self-imposed deadlines and the conference cycling through several proposals before landing on the one that advanced Thursday. The Hill's Mychael Schnell has more here. |
|
|
{{if !contains(profile.lists,"Evening Report")} {/if}}{{if !contains(profile.lists,"Evening Report")}{/if}}
Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
-
The Federal Reserve releases January meeting minutes on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.
- Wednesday will also be Taylor Giorno's last day with The Hill! Send tips and well wishes to tgiorno@thehill.com while you still can.
|
|
|
Branch out with more stories from the day: |
|
|
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Back when egg prices remained securely under $2 a dozen in 2021, Nevada joined several … |
|
|
Business and economic news we've flagged from other outlets: |
-
US retail spending plunged last month, falling for the first time since August (CNN)
-
How the Trumps Turned an Election Victory Into a Cash Bonanza (The Wall Street Journal)
-
Growing Up Murdoch (The Atlantic)
|
|
|
Top stories on The Hill right now: |
|
|
The Interior Department is firing 2,300 employees after a directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Read more |
|
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has dismissed more than 1,000 new employees as part of a wave of federal government layoffs that began this week, sparking concerns the firings could impact benefits for former service members. Read more |
|
|
Opinions related to business and economic issues submitted to The Hill: |
|
|
You're all caught up. See you Monday! |
Save story
-
Firings at the NSF included permanent employees who had already completed their one-year probationary period, as well as at-will workers.
Wired - 15h
-
The move comes amid a government-wide effort to cut probationary workers by the Department of Government Efficiency task force led by billionaire Elon Musk.
CBS News - 3d
-
In the latest federal shakeup, the Trump administration ordered the heads of several agencies across the government to start firing employees who were still within their probationary period — or ...
The Hill - 3d
-
More than 2,000 workers at the Interior Department were fired in recent days, according to counts from workers groups and those familiar with the cuts, as probationary workers were targeted across ...
The New York Times - 7h
-
Carly Arata is one of possibly more than 200,000 workers affected by mass firings of probationary employees.
ABC News - 4d
-
Dozens of probationary employees at one agency were told one of the reasons they were being fired was for poor performance — even though they had "exceptional" reviews.
NBC News - 1d
-
Agencies say Trump’s latest push to trim government could impede firefighting efforts and create crises at national parks. The US Forest Service is firing about 3,400 recent hires while the ...
The Guardian - 3d
-
The Trump administration hit the U.S. Forest and National Park Services with major staffing cuts over the weekend. The administration fired about 10% of the U.S. Forest Service workforce and about ...
CBS News - 1d
-
Hanna Hickman, a now-terminated worker for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told ABC News the last four days have been a roller coaster.
ABC News - 3d
-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was working to take back the termination notices sent over the weekend to several employees who aid in the federal response efforts to the bird flu ...
The Hill - 4h
-
President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk sat down for a joint interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity where they defended the administration’s massive overhaul of the federal government and ...
The Hill - 6h
-
President Trump said that he has directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fire all remaining former President “Biden-era” U.S. attorneys, claiming the department “has been politicized like never ...
The Hill - 7h
-
Former Vice President Harris is making one of her first post-2024 White House bid moves, signing with Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The talent agency will represent Harris "in all areas, focusing ...
The Hill - 8h
-
Bret Stephens, a conservative New York Times columnist, called Vice President Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference last week a “disgrace” and criticized Vance for meeting with the ...
The Hill - 8h
-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was working to take back the termination notices sent over the weekend to several employees who aid in the federal response efforts to the bird flu ...
The Hill - 4h
-
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., directed his comments to José Alvarado, the vice chair of Westchester County’s Board of Legislators, during a discussion about Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a ...
NBC News - 4h
-
President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk sat down for a joint interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity where they defended the administration’s massive overhaul of the federal government and ...
The Hill - 6h
-
President Trump said that he has directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fire all remaining former President “Biden-era” U.S. attorneys, claiming the department “has been politicized like never ...
The Hill - 7h
-
Former Vice President Harris is making one of her first post-2024 White House bid moves, signing with Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The talent agency will represent Harris "in all areas, focusing ...
The Hill - 8h
|
|
|
