DOGE orders agencies submit RIF plans affecting 50,000 positions

On 2025-04-09, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directed all federal agencies to file Reduction-in-Force plans that could eliminate up to 50,000 positions (Source: DOGE Reduction Framework Document).

Under DOGE’s agency-by-agency breakdown, the Environmental Protection Agency faces a 40% workforce reduction and the Department of Education faces a 60% workforce reduction (Source: DOGE Agency-by-Agency Analysis).

DOGE estimates $18 billion in annual taxpayer savings from cutting 50,000 positions, equal to less than 0.3% of total federal spending (Source: Congressional Budget Office DOGE Analysis).

DOGE will use automated AI algorithms to select employees for elimination based on job functions and productivity metrics (Source: DOGE AI Workforce Analysis Plan).

Agencies must eliminate budget line items for cut positions, preventing future administrations from rehiring without new congressional appropriations (Source: DOGE Budget Strategy Document).

Employees laid off under Reduction-in-Force procedures have minimal appeal rights compared to individual terminations (Source: Office of Personnel Management RIF Guidelines).

The federal civilian workforce numbers about 2 million employees, so a 50,000-job cut represents roughly 2.5% of total federal civilian employment (Source: Office of Personnel Management Employment Statistics).