Sweeping layoffs 'have begun' as government shutdown drags on

The White House began a sweeping downsizing of its workforce on Friday as the government shutdown dragged into a second week. "The RIFs have begun," White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought wrote on X, using an abbreviation for "reductions in force." An OMB official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Fox News Digital that the downsizing would be "substantial." The White House referred questions to the OMB. SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN'T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. ET on Oct. 7, forcing agencies to send home workers in roles not considered essential. Typically, furloughs are temporary; once Congress resolves the standoff, employees return to work and receive back pay. However, this shutdown, stretching well into its second week, comes as the Trump administration warns that furloughs across the federal government could become permanent. SHUTDOWN FIGHT CASTS A SHADOW OVER JOBS AS TRUMP PREPARES FOR LARGEST FEDERAL RESIGNATION IN US HISTORY What’s more, Washington, D.C., home to a high concentration of federal workers, has been hit especially hard after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory board called for layoffs earlier this year. Those employees are stepping into a job market that has been losing momentum, with unemployment rising to about 4.3% in August, marking the highest figure since 2021. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday squarely blamed Democrats for the potential mass layoffs, repeating the administration’s stance on the ongoing shutdown. "This conversation about layoffs would not be happening right now if the Democrats did not vote to shut the government down," Leavitt told reporters at the White House.