As of October 4, 2026, the available evidence does not establish a complete, current list of federal agencies or locations where workers are being laid off. The clearest recent agency-specific development concerns FEMA: a judge ruled unlawful a DHS-directed plan for a 50% staffing cut, but that target is not a count of employees actually laid off. A separate settlement ended litigation over RIF plans connected to the 2025 government shutdown and required those plans to be abandoned.
What federal workforce cuts are confirmed?
The evidence supports two distinct developments, neither of which amounts to a nationwide live list of completed layoffs. The first is a court ruling about a proposed FEMA staffing plan. The second is a settlement resolving litigation over reduction-in-force (RIF) plans associated with the 2025 shutdown.
| Agency or group | What happened | What the evidence does—and does not—establish |
|---|---|---|
| FEMA | In a September 13, 2026 report, the Associated Press described a federal judge’s ruling that a DHS-directed plan for a 50% FEMA staffing cut was unlawful. | The 50% figure is a proposed staffing target, not a verified count of separated employees. The judge, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, wrote that “Frankly, the FEMA staffing plan number appears as if pulled from thin air.” The ruling concerns the plan’s lawfulness; it does not establish that half of FEMA’s staff were laid off. |
| Shutdown-related RIF plans across federal agencies | A September 25, 2026 settlement ended litigation over RIF notices issued around the 2025 government shutdown. Federal News Network reported approximately 4,000 notices. | The settlement required the administration to tell agencies that remaining shutdown-related RIF plans had been abandoned and to rescind associated guidance. The roughly 4,000 figure describes notices, not confirmed completed layoffs. AFGE National President Everett Kelley said, “Today, working people won.” |
| Earlier agency actions reviewed by GAO | GAO’s 2026 review covered events through January 2026, including agency workforce directives and court actions. | GAO described a district court order temporarily pausing large-scale RIFs at approximately 20 agencies, but also noted that the order was stayed. This is historical context, not a current count of affected agencies. A statutory restriction on using federal funds to implement certain RIF actions applied only through January 30, 2026, and has expired. |
These developments do not establish that every non-shutdown workforce change has ended, nor do they identify every agency, office, or location with an active action. Dated lists of 2025 targets should not be treated as current layoff lists without evidence of what happened afterward.
Why “layoff” can mean different things in federal employment
The term “layoff” often refers to a formal federal reduction in force, but not every job loss, staffing cut, or pause in work is a RIF. The action’s type and stage matter: a proposed target, an employee notice, a court-blocked plan, and a completed separation are not interchangeable.
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| Action | What it means |
|---|---|
| Reduction in force (RIF) | The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) uses “RIF” for federal layoffs. RIF procedures apply when specified separations or downgrades result from circumstances such as reorganization, lack of work, a funding shortage, or a personnel ceiling. |
| Furlough | A furlough is not necessarily a permanent separation. OPM distinguishes administrative furloughs, which can relate to downsizing or funding or workload conditions, from shutdown furloughs caused by a lapse in appropriations. |
| Other workforce actions | Probationary or performance-based terminations, term-appointment nonrenewals, voluntary exits, relocations, and reorganizations should not automatically be described as RIF layoffs. In the FEMA case, allegations about nonrenewal of certain CORE appointments are separate from the ruling on the DHS-directed staffing plan. |
When checking a report about a particular office, look for the action type and its status. “Proposed,” “noticed,” “stayed,” “rescinded,” “ruled unlawful,” “abandoned,” and “completed” describe different points in the process; a planned cut or notice count alone does not show how many people ultimately lost their jobs.
What changed in RIF rules in September 2026?
OPM’s final RIF rule took effect September 2, 2026. It changes how employees are ranked for retention within a tenure group. Performance credit augmented by veterans’ preference becomes the principal ordering factor; tenure subgroup and service computation date act as tie-breakers. This change sets a ranking rule—it is not evidence that a particular agency has issued RIF notices.
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For RIF actions with specific employee notices issued on or after September 2, 2026, OPM now administers appeals that were previously handled through the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Eligible non-Senior Executive Service employees generally must appeal within 30 calendar days after the action’s effective date. The applicable procedure and deadline depend on the employee’s action and notice date, so employees should check current OPM guidance and contact their agency HR office rather than assume the same deadline applies to every case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What employees can do after receiving a notice
Start with the notice itself and the agency HR office. Confirm the action type, effective date, appeal instructions, and any employee-specific deadlines. For a RIF notice, use the current OPM appeal guidance to check which process applies to that notice date.
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- Look for transition and job-search support. OPM points displaced workers to interagency transition resources and state employment services. Depending on the state and local provider, services may include job-search help, career counseling, skills assessment, or retraining.
- Verify individual circumstances. Eligibility, appeal rights, benefits, and deadlines can depend on the type of action and the details in the notice. Ask agency HR and consult current OPM guidance for the specific case.
For public claims about where cuts are occurring, useful details include the agency and office or location, action type, number affected, whether that number is proposed or completed, notice and effective dates, and any court or statutory status. Without those details, a headline about a “cut” may describe a plan rather than a layoff that has happened.
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