NOAA lays off 880 staffers as DOGE continues cutting the federal workforce

By lauraharris // 2025-03-04

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About 880 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) staff members have been laid off, comprising around five percent of the agency's total workforce, as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to downsize the federal workforce.
Critical roles, such as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists, were largely spared, but some sources dispute this claim, citing affected radar specialists and Hurricane Hunters crew members.
The layoffs targeted probationary employees who were perceived as not fitting the agency's current needs, with some individuals like limate and weather scientist Tom DiLiberto being among those affected.
Other federal agencies have also conducted mass layoffs of probationary employees as part of broader efforts to streamline operations and save money.
These layoffs, initiated under the Trump administration, have raised concerns about the impact on science, critical services and the overall mission of federal agencies, with affected employees expressing frustration and disappointment at the perceived devaluation of their work.

Approximately 880 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) staffers have been laid off as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues slashing the federal workforce. According to a congressional source, the layoffs targeted around five percent of the NOAA's total staff. An administration official confirmed that critical roles, such as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists, were largely spared, but a source within the NWS disputed this claim, stating that some meteorologists, including radar specialists and members of the Hurricane Hunters crew, were also affected. (Related: Trump administration directs federal agencies to prepare for major downsizing by March 13.) The affected employees, many of whom were still in their probationary period, received emails informing them that their positions were being terminated due to their perceived lack of fit with the current needs of the agency. Among those laid off was Tom DiLiberto, a climate and weather scientist and public affairs specialist, who had just over two weeks remaining on his probationary period. DiLiberto, who has dedicated over a decade to NOAA's El Niño Southern Oscillation blog, expressed his frustration at the decision. "You're seeing the whittling away of scientists, and the people who got fired today are some of the best people you can imagine," DiLiberto said. "These people have dedicated their lives to help others. There's no politics in this. When we forecast, or think of the oceans and keep them clean, we're not thinking about the politics. This is an insult on science and all that's good."

Federal agencies have been conducting mass layoffs since Trump took office

NOAA is not the only federal agency that had mass layoffs. In February, the Department of the Interior announced the termination of 2,300 employees. The firings, which target employees on probationary status, were part of an internal directive to streamline operations in response to a broader hiring freeze ordered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had done the same, dismissing more than 1,000 new employees. The VA stated that the affected employees are non-mission-critical probationary workers who have served less than two years to save the agency over $98 million per year. The VA also claimed that the layoffs will redirect resources towards health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries. "There are currently more than 43,000 probationary employees across the department, the vast majority of whom are exempt from today's personnel actions because they serve in mission-critical positions – primarily those supporting benefits and services for VA beneficiaries – or are covered under a collective bargaining agreement," the VA statement noted. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also conducted mass layoffs, which affected nearly 5,200 workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the HHS, with nearly 1,300 probationary employees, roughly one-tenth of its workforce, is among the hardest-hit. Affected employees – including scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials – were expected to receive emails with their termination notices on Feb. 14. Some portion of the affected employees were supposed to receive four weeks of paid administrative leave. Trump.news has more stories like this. Watch the video below that talks about Trump "winning" since he assumed office.

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Federal agencies have been conducting mass layoffs since Trump took office

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