U.S. Education Department to Cut Staff by Half

The U.S. Department of Education will lay off more than 1,300 employees, cutting its workforce by 50%—a move seen as a precursor to President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency.

The cuts are part of Trump’s broader push to shrink the federal government. I Photo: Chris Zubak-Skee

Associated Press (AP) reporters Collin Binkley and Moriah Balingit covered the announcement.

The Trump administration has already been shrinking the department through buyout offers and terminations of probationary employees. After Tuesday’s layoffs, the department’s workforce will be reduced from 4,100 to roughly 2,000 employees, officials said.

The cuts are part of Trump’s broader push to shrink the federal government, with job reductions expected across agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration.

In addition to staff reductions, the department will terminate leases on office buildings in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Cleveland, officials confirmed.