FDA Begins Layoffs as Trump Moves to Shrink Federal Workforce

The Trump administration began to fire employees at the Food and Drug Administration Saturday, according to an email notice targeting workers under a probationary period.

The FDA said the employee was “not fit for continued employment” because their “ability, knowledge and skills do not fit the Agency’s current needs,” according to the email from acting chief human capital officer Jeffery Anoka, which was obtained by Bloomberg Law.

The employee’s performance was not adequate to justify further employment, according to the notice. The terminations become effective March 14.

Anoka, the FDA, and the US Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Saturday on the number of FDA employees the termination notice was sent to.

The moves follow President Donald Trump’s executive order signed Feb. 11 seeking to reduce the federal workforce, which required agency leaders last week to take steps to initiate a large-scale reduction in force.

Many of the layoffs across the government began shortly after the order. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid off 1,300 employees on Friday, Bloomberg News reported.

The FDA, which regulates nearly 80% of the US food supply, holds the “gold standard” for regulating drugs and medical devices, along with overseeing tobacco and cosmetic products. Over 20,000 employees were reported to work at the agency as of March 2024, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Layoffs at the federal health agencies come after Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Feb. 13 confirmation to lead HHS. Kennedy signaled major changes to the FDA prior to taking his new role.

He warned in a post on social media platform X in October 2024 that “If you work for the FDA and are part of this corrupt system, I have two messages for you: 1. Preserve your records, and 2. Pack your bags.” Kennedy’s also said that “entire departments” in the FDA “have to go.”

The firings come as federal health workers under HHS are invited to meet Kennedy at a welcome ceremony Feb. 18.