In a Move to Reduce the US Government Workforce, Trump Eliminates 6,000 Jobs at the IRS
An emotional executive at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) informed staff on Thursday that around 6,000 employees would be laid off, according to a source familiar with the situation. This move would reduce the agency’s workforce by about 6%, coinciding with the peak of the tax-filing season.
The job cuts are part of a larger initiative by President Donald Trump to reduce government staff, which has already impacted various sectors, including bank regulators, forest workers, rocket scientists, and many others. Elon Musk, a tech billionaire and Trump’s major campaign donor, is spearheading this effort.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Musk was handed a chainsaw by Argentine President Javier Milei, known for his dramatic approach to slashing government spending. Musk raised the chainsaw on stage as a symbol of his plan to cut bureaucratic jobs.
Labour unions have taken legal action to halt these mass layoffs, affecting tens of thousands of federal workers. However, a federal judge ruled on Thursday that the layoffs could continue for the time being.
IRS Director of Talent Acquisition Christy Armstrong became emotional during a phone call with employees, informing them that 6,000 of their colleagues would be laid off and urging them to support one another, according to a worker on the call. “She was pretty emotional,” the worker said.
The total number of layoffs is expected to reach 6,700, with most of the affected employees being part of the workforce expansion under Democratic President Joe Biden. Biden had aimed to strengthen enforcement against wealthy taxpayers, but Republicans have criticized the expansion, claiming it would lead to undue pressure on ordinary Americans.
Currently, the IRS employs about 100,000 people, up from 80,000 before Biden took office in 2021. Independent budget experts had projected that this staffing increase would boost government revenue and help address the country’s large budget deficits.
The layoffs primarily target newer federal employees, who have fewer job protections than those with longer tenure. In addition, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to dissolve the leadership of the U.S. Postal Service and integrate it into the Commerce Department.
At the IRS office in Kansas City, probationary employees discovered that all computer functions were disabled except for email, which would send their termination notices, according to Shannon Ellis, a local union representative.
The White House has not revealed how many of the 2.3 million federal civil servants it plans to fire, nor provided any specifics about the large-scale layoffs. However, approximately 75,000 workers accepted buyout offers last week.
The cuts have been welcomed by Republicans, who see the reduction of the federal workforce as a chance to eliminate what they perceive as waste, corruption, and disloyalty to Trump. The moves also target agencies that regulate large businesses, including those overseeing companies like SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink.
Musk’s Government Efficiency team has also canceled contracts worth about $8.5 billion related to foreign aid, diversity training, and other programs opposed by Trump.
Both Musk and Trump have set a goal to reduce the $6.7 trillion federal budget by at least $1 trillion, although Trump has stated he will not cut popular benefit programs, which account for roughly a third of the total budget.
Democratic critics argue that Trump is overstepping his constitutional authority and dismantling essential government services that support middle-class families.
Some agencies have struggled to keep up with the swift changes in policy since Trump took office a month ago. For example, workers responsible for U.S. nuclear weapons were fired and then reinstated, while Trump’s freeze on foreign aid left medicines and food exports stuck in warehouses.
