Media Wail About Federal Layoffs, but Check Out Disparity Between Public and Private Sector Job Security
29th October 2025
Within the first two weeks of the ongoing government shutdown, agency heads reportedly sent permanent layoff notices to about 4,000 federal employees under the guidance of Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought. But compared to the private sector, this is a proverbial drop in the bucket.
The partial lapse in government funding has dragged on for 27 days now as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and 44 other senators continue to block the “clean” government funding measure that the House passed in September.
As a result of the funding lapse, Vought says that 10,000 federal employees could ultimately face permanent layoffs.
For context, a reduction in force of 10,000 would only amount to about 0.3% of the roughly 3-million-person federal civilian workforce.
For further context, about 0.3% of the private sector workforce faces layoffs and discharges every week.