Why Pentagon wants to lay off 60,000 civilian employees
What's the story
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is set to make deep job cuts, with plans to reduce its workforce by 50,000-60,000 civilian positions.
This is part of a bigger strategy by the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce and dismantle US agencies.
The Pentagon's civilian workforce currently numbers over 900,000.
To achieve its targets, DoD plans to cut about 6,000 jobs each month by not replacing leaving employees.
Impact
Concerns over military readiness
The cuts have raised concerns on military readiness. Fears are service members would be reassigned to fill in vacant civilian roles as a result of the freeze.
But according to a senior defense official, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is committed to ensuring such reductions don't compromise military preparedness.
"A 5% to 8% reduction is not drastic," Hegseth believes it can be done without affecting readiness, the official added.
Approach
Three-pronged strategy for workforce reduction
DoD is using a three-part strategy to meet its workforce reduction targets. It involves voluntary resignations, termination of probationary workers, and elimination of jobs as employees depart.
The official claimed military services and Pentagon officials are reviewing personnel on a case-by-case basis to ensure important national security jobs aren't affected by cuts.
He added Hegseth has authorized military branch secretaries and DoD personnel chiefs to grant exemptions to the employment freeze.
Worry
Uncertainty surrounds impact of job cuts
It was unclear how many of the 70,000 civilians hired annually would be affected by the job cuts.
The department had also started firing 5,400 probationary civilian employees, but this has now been stayed by a temporary restraining order by a federal judge.
The official clarified they hadn't been chosen for termination "blindly based on the time they had been hired," but were recorded as "significantly underperforming in their job functions and or had misconduct on the record."