The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) witnessed a wave of job terminations this past weekend as the Trump administration's initiative to reduce federal workforce size took effect. On Saturday evening, FDA employees received unexpected notices that their positions were being eliminated, according to three anonymous staffers who spoke with the Associated Press. The layoffs primarily targeted probationary employees engaged in the critical review of food ingredients, medical devices, and other products, signaling significant changes in the FDA's operational landscape.
The FDA's budget, heavily reliant on fees from regulated companies, stands at $6.9 billion, nearly half of which comes from drug and medical device manufacturers. Despite the financial backing, the agency faced a formidable task following the layoff notices. The US Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to terminate 5,200 probationary employees across its agencies, including the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At the FDA alone, about 700 employees had been notified by early Sunday afternoon, with the total expected to reach nearly 1,300.
The current wave of terminations comes as the FDA grapples with a workforce characterized by experienced employees who have dedicated decades to the agency. A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office highlighted persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining staff due to more lucrative opportunities in the private sector. Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner under George W Bush, emphasized the importance of new talent within the agency, stating:
"You want to bring in new blood," said Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner under George W Bush.
Despite employing nearly 20,000 people at its Maryland headquarters outside Washington DC, the FDA finds its inspection force strained. The agency oversees thousands of food, drug, tobacco, and medical device facilities worldwide but faces a backlog of approximately 2,000 uninspected drug facilities—a consequence of pandemic-related restrictions and a wave of departures during Covid-19.
The recent terminations appeared to concentrate on employees within the agency's centers for food, medical devices, and tobacco products. Mitch Zeller, former FDA director for tobacco, expressed concern over the impact of these layoffs:
"The combined effect of what they're trying to do is going to destroy the ability to recruit and retain talent," Zeller said.
In addition to affecting employee morale, Zeller criticized the firings as a strategy to undermine federal workforce spirit. The layoffs could exacerbate existing recruitment challenges and strain the agency's ability to fulfill its regulatory duties effectively.