VA workforce cut by nearly 30,000 positions in 2025
Enacted8/10
Federal · VA workforce reduction announcement, July 2025 · Jul 8, 2025
Impact 8/10
The Department of Veterans Affairs reduced its workforce from about 484,000 in January 2025 to roughly 455,000 by the end of fiscal 2025, a cut of nearly 30,000 positions, about 6 percent, through a federal hiring freeze, attrition, early retirements, and deferred resignations. VA scrapped an earlier plan for department-wide layoffs that would have cut up to 15 percent of staff. Veterans groups and congressional Democrats warned the losses would strain health care delivery and benefits processing.
HealthcareSafety net & benefitsEnvironment & energyWorking-age adultsSeniors (65+)VeteransDisabled
Sources
✓ Verified against primary sources 2026-08-16