Pentagon to lay off 5,400 civilian workers as DOD implements hiring freeze

DOD will begin cutting 5,400 probationary civilian employees next week as part of a broader effort to reduce the department’s workforce by up to 8 percent, according to a Pentagon announcement Friday. The move comes alongside a temporary hiring freeze while officials reassess personnel needs.

Darin Selnick, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said the reductions are part of an effort to “produce efficiencies and refocus the department on the president’s priorities and restoring readiness in the force,” according to Stars and Stripes.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed this sentiment in a video posted on X, stating that the Pentagon must shift resources toward warfighting capabilities rather than administrative functions. “In short, we want the biggest, most badass military on the planet, on God’s green earth,” Hegseth said. He added that while layoffs would begin with probationary employees, the review process would evaluate individual performance rather than implementing across-the-board cuts.

DOD employs approximately 950,000 civilian workers, many of whom provide critical logistical, intelligence, and administrative support to military operations, per Federal News Network. Probationary employees—typically those with less than a year of service—are particularly vulnerable, as they generally lack the ability to appeal terminations through the Merit Systems Protection Board.

However, legal experts and labor unions argue that the layoffs may violate Title 10, Section 129a of the US Code, which requires the defense secretary to conduct a detailed analysis before reducing civilian personnel. This analysis must assess potential effects on workload, military force structure, lethality, readiness, and operational effectiveness.

CNN reported Friday that the Pentagon temporarily paused its initial plan to fire more than 50,000 civilian employees after concerns were raised about whether this legal requirement had been met.

Hegseth has ordered military branches to identify $50 billion in budget cuts for the next fiscal year, which would amount to about 8 percent of the total defense budget.