Trump administration tells federal agencies to make plans for large-scale layoffs of workers

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is directing federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs of their workers, according to the heads of the White House budget office and Office of Personnel Management.

Budget Director Russell Vought and acting OPM Director Charles Ezell said in the memo to the heads of departments and agencies the they will have to submit the first phase of plans for reorganization plans by March 13, which “shall focus on initial agency cuts and reductions.”

They then will have to submit plans for a second phase of workforce reduction by mid-April. That will outline a vision for more productive, efficient agency operations going forward and be implemented by the end of September, the memo said.

An official at a federal agency told NBC News that DOGE employees have created a spreadsheet of workers in the agency and have started going through and marking whether they are considered critical or not.