White House begins mass layoff notices as shutdown enters second week

The White House said Friday it has begun issuing mass layoff notices to federal employees as the partial government shutdown entered its second week, with the Office of Management and Budget confirming reduction‑in‑force actions have started but providing few details about scope or targets. OMB Director Russell Vought posted that the RIFs had begun, and a court filing and agency statements indicated thousands of federal workers have received notices.

A court filing submitted Friday said more than 4,000 federal employees had been terminated so far, including more than 1,000 each at the Treasury Department and the Department of Health and Human Services. A Treasury spokesperson and an HHS official confirmed departments had begun sending reduction‑in‑force notices; HHS said the actions affected nonessential staff. The OMB described the planned reductions as substantial but did not disclose specific numbers or which agencies would be most affected.

President Donald Trump told reporters the layoffs will be significant. "It will be a lot, and we'll announce the numbers over the next couple of days," he said, adding the cuts would be aimed at agencies he associates with opposition...