NOAA Layoffs: Hundreds of Federal Workers Let Go

Hundreds of federal workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were fired on Thursday, marking the latest move by the Trump administration to reduce the number of federal workers in the sciences. This purge of the federal payroll is being led by the Department of Government Efficiency, a non-federal government entity.

The NOAA layoffs follow a series of cuts in other agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and the National Park Service. NASA was able to strike a last-minute deal to avoid expected staff reductions, but this may only be a temporary reprieve. February has been a particularly bloody month, with workers in several agencies facing layoffs.

Extent of the Layoffs

According to Craig McLean, a former NOAA chief scientist, the layoffs occurred in two rounds, with 500 and 800 employees let go, respectively. This constitutes about 10% of the agency’s workforce. The first round of cuts targeted probationary employees, including about 375 employees at the National Weather Service, which monitors weather patterns and events across the United States.

Impact on Employees

It’s essential to note that probationary employees are not necessarily on probation in the classical sense. Many of these employees have stellar records but have recently joined the agency. Julie Lundquist, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science and Wind Energy at Johns Hopkins University, stated that some of the people she knows who were fired had decades of experience and were considered "probationary" simply because they were new to their roles.

Motivations Behind the Layoffs

The Trump administration claims that the layoffs are intended to make the government more efficient. However, these cuts occur against the backdrop of Project 2025, the administration’s plan to overhaul the U.S. government, which includes the abolishment of NOAA. The value of NOAA’s work cannot be overstated, with the agency providing a return of $11 or more for every $1 spent.

Consequences of the Layoffs

The potential effects of the layoffs are difficult to quantify, but they could have far-reaching consequences. NOAA’s weather monitoring data is provided free to private sector companies, and with less data, meteorologists everywhere will be hampered. The agency’s staff is essential for monitoring and disseminating information about weather events across the country. According to the agency, the U.S. has sustained over 400 weather and climate disasters since 1980, resulting in damages of nearly $3 trillion.

Expert Reactions

Climate scientist Daniel Swain noted that NOAA and the National Weather Service offer tens to hundreds of billions of dollars in net economic benefit each year. Even a temporary interruption in their services could be devastating. The fallout from these layoffs is hard to predict, but it’s clear that there are now fewer scientists, meteorologists, and qualified personnel helping to operate the country’s round-the-clock sentry for extreme weather.

You can read more about the value of NOAA’s work in an op-ed by a previous agency chief of staff and in an Internet of Water report.