The US government is taking steps to reinstate nuclear safety employees who were recently laid off, following rising worries that their dismissal could threaten national security, as reported by US media outlets. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) personnel were part of a larger group from the Department of Energy that received termination notices last Thursday.
The NNSA plays a critical role in designing, building, and overseeing the US nuclear weapons stockpile, making the recent layoffs particularly concerning. President Donald Trump’s administration has initiated these cuts as part of a broader strategy to reduce the federal workforce, which he began implementing shortly after taking office.
Discrepancies in layoff numbers raise concerns
Reports indicate that over 300 NNSA staff members were terminated, although a spokesperson from the Department of Energy disputed this figure, asserting that “less than 50 people” were affected. The layoffs reportedly included employees stationed at facilities responsible for weapon production, leading to significant alarm regarding the implications for national security.
In an attempt to reverse the terminations, the Trump administration has faced challenges, especially in contacting the affected individuals, who have been locked out of their federal email accounts. A memo circulated among NNSA employees on Friday stated:
“The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel.”
The memo also urged supervisors to relay this information to the fired employees via personal email addresses once they obtained it.
Wider implications of federal workforce reductions
Last week, nearly 10,000 federal employees across various agencies were let go, in addition to around 75,000 staff members who accepted voluntary departure offers from the White House in the autumn. This reduction in workforce is part of Trump’s broader initiative to cut spending both domestically and internationally, with discussions even surrounding the potential elimination of the Department of Education.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is reportedly assisting in this effort through a program known as the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which aims to analyze data within federal agencies and aid in the rollout of incentive buyout offers. As part of this initiative, the administration recently mandated that nearly all probationary employees—those who have held their positions for less than a year and lack job protection—be terminated, including many from the NNSA.
A potential ripple effect of these layoffs could impact hundreds of thousands of federal workers. However, many of the Trump administration’s attempts to streamline government operations have encountered legal obstacles, resulting in over 60 lawsuits filed since the president’s inauguration on January 20.