USDA agencies were among those affected by the 2025 wave of federal probationary-employee terminations, but the available sources do not establish a verified count of USDA workers fired. USDA’s inspector general later reported that 20,306 employees left the department from January 12 through June 14, 2025; that figure includes multiple kinds of departures, not just firings.
Which USDA agencies were affected?
In February 2025, reports described USDA employees being terminated or placed on administrative leave during the wider federal actions against probationary workers. A February 25 letter from the Senate Agriculture Committee identified five components where employees had reportedly been affected:
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- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
- Forest Service
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
- Farm Service Agency (FSA)
- Rural Development
The letter asked USDA for totals and breakdowns by state, component, job, and veteran status. It documents which components lawmakers were asking about, but it is not a definitive list of every affected unit or a verified count of employees.
How many USDA workers were fired?
The sources cited here do not establish an exact USDA firing total. The clearest department-wide figure comes from the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG), which examined staffing from pay period 1 through pay period 11, covering January 12–June 14, 2025. OIG found that 20,306 employees left USDA during that period. It reported that 15,114 of those departures were through the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), and its staffing table recorded an 18% attrition rate. USDA had 110,384 employees at the beginning of the period.
Those are departure and attrition figures, not a count of people fired. OIG’s total covers multiple forms of attrition, so neither the 20,306 total nor the number left after subtracting DRP departures can be presented as the number of firings. The Senate committee’s request for an exact breakdown underscores that distinction: its letter sought the figures rather than supplying them.
What did the lawsuits and court action change?
On March 7, 2025, the Massachusetts attorney general announced that a coalition of 20 attorneys general had sued over mass probationary-employee terminations at federal agencies, including Agriculture. The states alleged that the administration had failed to follow laws and regulations governing large-scale reductions in force (RIFs). They also argued that terminations described as performance-based were not supported by individualized findings. Those are allegations by the states, not findings that every USDA termination was unlawful.
Oregon’s litigation tracker reports that on April 1, 2025, a district court issued a preliminary injunction requiring agencies to take steps to undo purported probationary terminations made without required notice to states. The order also barred future RIFs that failed to meet those notice requirements. It was an interim measure addressing notice compliance, not a final ruling resolving every employee’s case or a blanket determination that every affected USDA worker was reinstated.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the 2025 terminations differ from USDA’s later relocation plan
USDA’s later reorganization is a separate episode. In July 2025, the department announced a phased plan to relocate much of its headquarters and National Capital Region staff to five hubs. USDA said the plan was intended to bring the department closer to farmers and reduce costs. In a page updated September 10, 2026, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Administration described planned moves and hubs, said the reorganization did not include layoffs or RIFs, and noted that details remained subject to collective bargaining.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteLabor organizations and other plaintiffs challenged the relocation effort, arguing that relocation requirements could drive employees out and that the department lacked legal authority for the plan. Those are the challengers’ claims; they are not the same legal question as the 2025 litigation over probationary terminations and state notice rules.
| Issue | 2025 probationary terminations | Later relocation reorganization |
|---|---|---|
| Action described | Reported terminations or administrative leave affecting probationary employees | USDA plan to relocate staff and reorganize functions; USDA said it did not include layoffs or RIFs |
| People at issue | Probationary federal employees | Headquarters and National Capital Region staff covered by planned moves |
| Evidence available | Senate inquiry into affected components; OIG data on total USDA departures, not firings | USDA’s reorganization plan and statements, alongside union and other plaintiffs’ legal challenge |
| Legal issue | Whether terminations complied with applicable RIF and state-notice requirements | Whether USDA had authority for the reorganization and relocation requirements, among other disputed issues |
| Status reflected in cited accounts | Oregon’s tracker reports an April 1, 2025 preliminary injunction on notice compliance | Federal News Network reported an administrative stay issued September 14, 2026, while a judge considered a union challenge |
NFFE said unions and allied organizations filed suit and sought to halt imminent relocations. The September 14 administrative stay was reported as temporary while the challenge was considered; the status after the reported October 2 pause date is not confirmed here. It should not be described as still active or expired without a later court order or docket update.
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