Pentagon’s plan to slash 60,000 civilian jobs—Will forced layoffs follow?

The United States Department of Defense is undertaking one of its most significant workforce restructuring efforts in recent history, targeting a reduction of 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs. This downsizing, representing a 5% to 8% cut from the Pentagon‘s civilian workforce of approximately 878,000 employees, is being pursued primarily through voluntary resignations and a hiring freeze. However, as the initiative unfolds, concerns are mounting over whether forced layoffs or involuntary workforce reductions will ultimately be required to meet the department’s target.

A senior defense official confirmed that the plan aligns with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s strategy to streamline personnel expenses without compromising military readiness. The official emphasized that while the absolute number may seem large, the percentage reduction remains relatively modest, ensuring that essential defense operations remain unaffected.

How Is the Pentagon Implementing Workforce Reductions?

The primary mechanism for achieving this reduction is the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which offers civilian employees the option to resign voluntarily while continuing to receive their salaries until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The Pentagon has already approved 21,000 voluntary resignations under this program, but it remains unclear how many additional employees have applied.

Alongside the Deferred Resignation Program, a hiring freeze has been implemented, effectively halting the monthly intake of approximately 6,000 new civilian employees who would normally replace outgoing staff. By suspending new hires, the Department of Defense is seeking to accelerate the natural attrition process, allowing workforce numbers to decline organically over time.

Another key element of the strategy is the dismissal of 5,400 probationary employees, consisting of personnel with less than one or two years of experience in their current positions. However, this aspect of the plan has faced a significant legal challenge, with a federal judge issuing a temporary restraining order that has halted further terminations pending review.

What Are the Broader Implications of the Pentagon’s Workforce Reductions?

The restructuring effort has raised speculation about whether military service members will be required to take over civilian roles left vacant by these job cuts. While some analysts suggest that uniformed personnel could be reassigned to fill critical positions, the Pentagon has denied any plans to shift responsibilities from civilians to military members. The defense official reiterated that the Pentagon’s civilian workforce reductions are being managed in a way that preserves operational capacity, ensuring that essential functions remain intact.

Despite these assurances, questions persist about how the Department of Defense will proceed if voluntary workforce reductions fail to meet the 50,000 to 60,000 job cut target. The senior official declined to elaborate on what additional measures may be considered but acknowledged that forced layoffs or a structured reduction in force remain possible contingencies.

How Do These Job Cuts Compare to Previous Pentagon Workforce Reductions?

Workforce reductions within the Department of Defense are not unprecedented. In the early 1990s, following the end of the Cold War, the Pentagon’s civilian workforce underwent a major contraction, with tens of thousands of positions eliminated as part of broader efforts to downsize military operations and reduce defense spending. Similar cutbacks occurred in the early 2010s due to budget sequestration measures, which imposed mandatory spending reductions across federal agencies.

However, unlike previous downsizing efforts that were often driven by external economic or geopolitical factors, the current initiative appears to be a deliberate restructuring strategy aimed at improving efficiency rather than an emergency cost-cutting measure. The Pentagon has emphasized that the goal is to ensure that resources are directed toward mission-critical functions, rather than maintaining a workforce size that may not be aligned with evolving defense priorities.

Why Were Probationary Employees Targeted for Dismissal?

One of the more controversial aspects of the Pentagon’s workforce reduction plan is the dismissal of 5,400 probationary employees, a move that has been temporarily halted by a federal court order. The Department of Defense has maintained that these employees were not selected arbitrarily, but rather due to documented underperformance or misconduct records.

A senior defense official clarified that probationary employees were not dismissed simply because of their tenure but because performance evaluations indicated deficiencies. Still, the lack of transparency regarding specific criteria has led to pushback from labor advocates and legal challenges questioning whether due process rights were adequately upheld.

How Will These Reductions Affect Military Veterans in Civilian Roles?

The workforce reduction initiative is also expected to impact military veterans employed as civilian personnel within the Pentagon. While the Department of Defense has not provided a specific estimate of how many veterans will be affected, officials acknowledged that some individuals with prior service experience would be among those departing.

Veterans often bring specialized skill sets to civilian roles within the defense sector, and their experience is considered valuable to core mission functions. The official noted that the Pentagon is evaluating workforce reductions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the contributions of veterans before making final personnel decisions.

What Happens Next?

With 21,000 voluntary resignations approved but tens of thousands of additional cuts still needed, the Pentagon faces a critical juncture in its workforce reduction strategy. If the Deferred Resignation Program and hiring freeze fail to deliver the necessary reductions, the Department of Defense may need to explore more aggressive measures to achieve its workforce targets.

Legal challenges surrounding the termination of probationary employees have added another layer of uncertainty to the process, and if forced layoffs or additional involuntary measures are required, the Pentagon may face greater political and legal scrutiny.

While the Department remains firm that military readiness will not be compromised, the coming months will determine whether the Pentagon can successfully reduce its civilian workforce without deeper disruptions to defense operations and personnel stability.