The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began the process of firing hundreds of probationary workers Thursday, the latest mass job cuts within federal agencies, multiple sources with knowledge of internal operations told The Hill.
The cuts, which are said to affect between 560 and 1,830 workers at the agency, were planned for at least a week, contingent upon the confirmation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who oversees the agency. NOAA reported a permanent workforce of 11,758 in fiscal 2023, meaning the cuts could affect more than 10 percent of employees. One source who asked to speak on background told The Hill the firings began Thursday and will continue Friday.
One of the sources told The Hill that termination letters began going out to probationary employees at 3:30 Thursday afternoon. Probationary status applies to both recent hires and workers who have been recently promoted.
Another source said that many highly skilled positions were among those let go, and that recent hires were used to fill skill gaps at the agency. In some cases, the fired people had previous federal experience, the person said.
And a third source confirmed that the ousted employees included some who worked for the National Weather Service.
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