Approximately 50,000 to 60,000 civilian jobs will be cut in the Department of Defense. Military personnel can then be used to fill civilian vacancies.
UNN reports with reference to The Associated Press.
The Pentagon intends to cut up to 60,000 civilian jobs, a senior defense official told reporters on Tuesday. Less than 21,000 employees have applied for voluntary resignation - they will resign in the coming months.
To achieve the goal of reducing the civilian workforce by 5% to 8%, which numbers more than 900,000 people, the ministry intends to cut about 6,000 positions per month. A Pentagon representative explained that employees who will be regularly dismissed will not be replaced.
The main concern is that military personnel could be used to fill these civilian vacancies, apnews writes.
Context
The US Department of Defense announced in February 2025 its intention to reduce its civilian staff by at least 5%. The decision corresponds to the intention of US President Donald Trump to reduce the number of federal employees. Among other things, a hiring freeze was also planned.
UNN reported that the Pentagon sent a list of employees on probation to the Office of Personnel Management of the administration of US President Donald Trump, along with requests to exempt certain offices and people from the reduction.