VA Backs Down from Massive Layoffs—But Workforce Cuts Continue

The story below comes from AFGE’s The Insider newsletter.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has officially walked back its plan to lay off more than 80,000 employees as part of the Elon Musk-led “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative. Instead, the agency now plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 30,000 positions through attrition and retirements—a move AFGE welcomes as a partial victory for federal workers and the veterans they serve.

The original DOGE proposal would have slashed roughly 15 percent of the VA workforce, triggering layoffs that could have devastated the agency’s ability to deliver care and services to millions of veterans. But sustained public and political pressure – including direct action and advocacy from AFGE members – forced a significant change of course.

“We Stopped the Worst of It—But We’re Still Concerned”

AFGE National President Everett Kelley was pleased with the decision to scale back the mass layoffs but cautioned that cuts of 30,000 could still impact veterans’ care.

“This is a clear case where collective action made a difference,” Kelley said. “The VA’s original plan would have been catastrophic. Because we raised our voices—workers, veterans, lawmakers, and community leaders—the agency pulled back. That’s a major victory. But we’re not out of the woods yet. These 30,000 cuts, even through attrition, still risk degrading services if not handled responsibly.”

AFGE locals representing VA employees have been fielding member concerns for months, especially around how staffing reductions might affect patient wait times, specialty care access, and overall morale in facilities already stretched thin.

Key Numbers and What Changed

• Original DOGE Plan: Eliminate up to 83,000 jobs via reduction-in-force (RIF)
• Current VA Plan: Reduce ~30,000 positions through voluntary attrition and retirements
• AFGE Difference: No RIFs planned. 53,000 jobs saved.

According to VA leadership, mission-critical positions will be protected, and service delivery should not be impacted. AFGE is urging continued transparency and labor-management collaboration to ensure that promise holds. AFGE opposed the initial DOGE cuts because of the threat they posed to veterans’ health care, benefits, and support services.

Keeping the Focus on Veterans

“Our fight wasn’t just about jobs—it was about what those jobs mean for our veterans,” Kelley said. “We’re relieved that the most extreme elements of this plan have been abandoned. But we will be watching closely to see what these remaining cuts mean on the ground.”

A Message to Other Agencies

President Kelley also called on other federal agencies considering or currently implementing similar DOGE-related cuts to take note of the VA’s reversal.

“This shows that the people’s voice still matters. If the VA can reverse course, so can others,” he said. “But more importantly, they should pause and consider the real-world impacts before slashing jobs in the first place.”