The FAA firings that began in February 2025 were terminations of probationary employees, not a tally of formal federal reduction-in-force actions. Since then, the administration has announced other workforce actions, while the latest government-wide figure from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) measures net workforce change—not how many people were fired. Those distinctions matter when comparing agency announcements, court filings and workforce statistics.
What happened to FAA employees in February 2025?
On February 17, 2025, the Associated Press reported that the administration had begun firing several hundred FAA employees, with notices sent to probationary workers. Its February 19 report put the number at about 400 personnel let go beginning the previous Friday; the administration said fewer than 400 were affected. The accounts do not establish one definitive count.
The reported jobs included workers who maintained radar, landing and navigation aids. The union also said some affected jobs supported inspectors and airport operations. The administration said it had not fired personnel in “critical safety” roles. These are competing descriptions from the union and administration, not an independent finding about the safety impact of the firings.
The reports describe terminations of probationary employees. That should not automatically be labeled a reduction in force, or RIF: OPM uses RIF for a separate category of federal workforce action and publishes distinct procedures and guidance for it.
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How many federal employees have been laid off?
There is no single government-wide number in the available figures that counts everyone fired. OPM’s workforce dashboard reported a net change of -271,363 federal employees since January 20, 2025, using data through July 2026. OPM calculates that figure as accessions minus separations. It therefore reflects both people entering and leaving the workforce; it is not a count of firings or layoffs. OPM says the dashboard is updated monthly.
OPM cautioned that Department of War processing left some components’ June and July 2026 data incomplete. The agency said it had received most of the data and that data for other departments were unaffected. The caveat applies to the dashboard’s coverage, not to a separately verified count of dismissals.
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How do firings, RIFs and net workforce change differ?
| Measure | What it describes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Probationary termination | An employee’s termination while in a probationary period, as in the FAA episode reported in February 2025. | By itself, it does not identify the action as a formal RIF or show how many people left government overall. |
| Reduction in force (RIF) | A formal workforce action for which OPM provides separate procedures, employee coverage information, notice guidance, records and appeal materials. | An announcement or estimate of a RIF does not prove that every affected separation has been completed. |
| Net workforce change | OPM’s calculation of accessions minus separations over a period. | It is not the number fired: hiring and other entries offset departures. |
| Separation rate | A comparison of separations within a defined employee population and period. | It does not, without further detail, identify every separation as a firing or RIF. |
These measures cover different populations and answer different questions. A net decline can coexist with new hiring, while a RIF estimate describes a planned or reported action rather than necessarily completed departures.
What other federal workforce actions followed?
Shutdown-era RIF announcement
On October 10, 2025, the Associated Press reported that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said, “RIFs have begun,” referring to plans to reduce the size of the federal government during the shutdown. An administration court filing estimated that well over 4,000 employees were affected. The filing described funding conditions as fluid and evolving, so that estimate should not be treated as a final count of completed firings.
FAA reorganization
On January 27, 2026, the FAA announced a major organizational overhaul and said, “The restructuring will not result in reductions in force.” That statement applies to the 2026 reorganization; it does not establish what ultimately happened to employees notified in February 2025.
FEMA staffing plan
In September 2026, the Associated Press reported that a federal judge ruled unlawful the administration’s plan for a 50% cut to FEMA staffing. That percentage describes the challenged plan, not completed job losses across FEMA or the federal government. Judge Susan Illston wrote, “Frankly, the FEMA staffing plan number appears as if pulled from thin air.” The ruling concerns FEMA’s plan; it should not be generalized to unrelated agency actions.
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What do the probationary-employee figures show?
A June 9, 2026, Government Accountability Office analysis found that probationary employees at 11 selected agencies had a 19% separation rate in 2025, compared with 15% for all separated employees in those agencies. The result is limited to those selected agencies and GAO’s stated comparison; it is not a government-wide count of firings and does not identify every separation as involuntary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can federal employees find current RIF guidance?
OPM’s RIF materials cover procedures, employee coverage, notice requirements, records, appeals and transition programs. The page lists FAQs on the Reemployment Priority List, Career Transition Assistance Plan and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan dated September 15, 2026, as well as a final-regulations memorandum dated September 2, 2026.
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Employees facing a possible action should consult their agency HR office and the current OPM materials for their specific circumstances. General reporting cannot determine an individual employee’s rights or deadlines.
What is not known about the FAA employees?
The public figures cited above do not provide a complete, current person-by-person outcome for the FAA employees notified in February 2025, including whether any were later reinstated or left federal service through another route. The government-wide net-change figure cannot fill that gap, and a later FAA cohort count is not established here.
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