Atlanta: Hundreds of employees at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) were laid off last Friday amid the ongoing government shutdown, sparking concerns over the potential impact on public health. Workers and unions have described the layoffs as a 'massacre' and are warning of severe consequences for health services.
According to Anadolu Agency, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883, representing CDC workers, reported that termination notices were initially sent to 1,300 employees. Due to a 'coding error,' roughly 700 of these notices were rescinded, leaving approximately 600 employees permanently laid off. The Trump administration's decision to permanently lay off workers, rather than temporarily furlough them with back pay, is being legally challenged by workers' unions.
CDC staff indicated that the decision to reverse some terminations followed public backlash over the dismissal of experts managing critical health issues such as domestic measles outbreaks and the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883, stated that CDC human resources workers, who were also furloughed, were recalled to process layoff letters, including their own.
Since January, nearly 3,000 CDC employees, about 33% of the total staff, have been lost due to layoffs, forced resignations, or reductions in force (RIFs). Affected employees are on paid administrative leave until December 8, but many are restricted from seeking other employment without approval from an ethics office, which has also been impacted by the layoffs.
Legal experts argue that such layoffs during a government shutdown are illegal, as federal law prohibits incurring new costs, including severance, under these conditions. Among those laid off were mental health workers assisting staff affected by an August gun attack on the CDC campus in Atlanta, as well as entire teams focused on chronic disease, global health, suicide prevention, and communications.
The National Public Health Coalition's Abigail Tighe expressed concern over losing essential personnel who prevent childhood drownings, child abuse, and suicide, and who respond to global outbreaks. Former CDC staff have voiced fears for the country's public safety, citing a significant gap in the nation's health infrastructure at a time of increasing global demand for disease surveillance and crisis response.
The Trump administration has faced criticism for promoting a 'Make America Healthy Again' slogan while simultaneously cutting funding and staff from public health agencies. The administration defends its actions as efforts to eliminate "waste, fraud, and abuse."