AFGE 2883 on CDC Staffing Cuts Through Reductions in Force
Data-driven analysis of the devastating impact of RIF actions on the CDC workforce and its public health mission.
UPDATE: JUNE 11, 2025
We are aware that on June 11, 2025, HHS began issuing notices to a minority of the staff impacted by the April 1 reductions-in-force. These notices alert staff that their RIF is rescinded. In our early assessment, it appears that critical functions are still lost.
We urge HHS to reverse all the notices issued to CDC staff on April 1, 2025 and return the public health workforce to their positions.
On April 1, 2025, RIF notices were issued to civil servants at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since then, leadership at HHS has repeatedly denied claims that these personnel cuts would impact the front-line, public health work that is the backbone of the CDC mission. AFGE 2883 members, as CDC staff, have experienced first-hand the devastating impact of these personnel actions.
These data came directly from AFGE 2883 members and from our understanding of the workforce at CDC.
These cuts were scientific, not administrative and not “fraud, waste, and abuse”
AFGE 2883 recognizes that the work of CDC relies on all members of its workforce, and not only scientific staff. However, leadership at HHS has repeatedly claimed that “the cuts we have made to date are administrative cuts…we have not fired any working scientists”.
We find that approximately 1,586 civil servants affected by the RIF were scientists, medical professionals, veterinary professionals, engineers, and other STEM leaders. These roles are essential to the CDC's core public health mission and account for over 59% of the cuts to the CDC workforce, impacting the agency's research and response capacity.
These cuts devastated the groups working on topics “prioritized” for the Administration for a Healthy America
We have repeatedly heard from HHS leadership that they are “streamlining” and “prioritizing” important topics. However, staff in each of these “priority” units have simply been eliminated, without any ability to transfer programs or ensure that work continues.
Worker health and safety
Nearly the entire workforce was eliminated. These cuts were particularly devastating to CDC staff represented by our partner locals.
Maternal and child health
Core programs were destroyed.
Environmental health
Programs reduced by more than half.
Smoking and tobacco control
No civil servants remain to conduct this work.
Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) response
Key laboratorians responsible for tracking and responding to STI outbreaks were completely eliminated.
About these data
The HHS Reduction-in-Force actions took place at the level of branches, resulting in extensive workforce reductions within those units. This report summarizes the impact of these cuts, which specifically reduced the number of civil servants in each unit to zero. The numbers that AFGE 2883 has estimated may not be exact, as cuts were summarized without official reports from HHS.
There have been extensive additional losses of personnel through other mechanisms at CDC, including:
- Terminations of fellowship programs
- Terminations of probationary employees
- Deferred Resignation
- Early Retirement Authority
- Voluntary Separation Incentive Programs
- Personnel contracts that were cut, representing other critical supporters of the CDC workforce
- Non-renewals of typically-renewed positions, such as term employees who were not able to be extended due to hiring freezes
The impacts of these additional losses are not yet fully described.
Additional Details by Occupational Series
| Group | Number RIFed | Total Civil Servants (mid-March 2025) | % of Cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Scientists (Epidemiologists) | 605 | 3,298 | 23% |
| Public health program specialist | 347 | 2,440 | 13% |
| Biologists | 93 | 664 | 3% |
| Microbiology | 3 | 405 | <1% |
| Medical officers and Physicians | 47 | 361 | 2% |
| Statistics | 29 | 236 | 1% |
| Chemistry | 13 | 148 | <1% |
| Social science | 55 | 141 | 2% |
| General engineering | 83 | 123 | 3% |
| Mathematical Statistics | 38 | 118 | 1% |
| Computer science | 18 | 87 | <1% |
| Economist | 26 | 70 | <1% |
| Data Science Series | 10 | 65 | <1% |
| Nurse | 4 | 46 | <1% |
| Electronics Technical | 6 | 35 | <1% |
| General physical science | 31 | 31 | 1% |
| Industrial hygiene | 26 | 31 | <1% |
| Engineering Technical | 30 | 30 | 1% |
| Veterinary medical science | 1 | 28 | <1% |
| Mechanical engineering | 21 | 27 | <1% |
| Health physics | 3 | 22 | <1% |
| Operations research | 6 | 18 | <1% |
| Mining engineering | 17 | 17 | <1% |
| Intelligence | 0 | 14 | <1% |
| Biological science technician | 4 | 13 | <1% |
| Entomology | 0 | 13 | <1% |
| Psychology | 8 | 13 | <1% |
| Architecture | 0 | 11 | <1% |
| Health insurance administration | 0 | 11 | <1% |
| Toxicology | 3 | 9 | <1% |
| Medical records technician | 0 | 8 | <1% |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 6 | 7 | <1% |
| Electrical engineering | 2 | 7 | <1% |
| Physical science technician | 6 | 7 | <1% |
| Dental officer | 6 | 6 | <1% |
| Environmental engineering | 2 | 6 | <1% |
| Computer engineering | 4 | 5 | <1% |
| Geology | 4 | 5 | <1% |
| Medical technologist | 1 | 5 | <1% |
| Pharmacist | 0 | 5 | <1% |
| Health aid and technician | 4 | 4 | <1% |
| Industrial engineering | 4 | 4 | <1% |
| Safety engineering | 3 | 4 | <1% |
| Social science aid and technician | 0 | 3 | <1% |
| Statistical Assistant | 1 | 3 | <1% |
| Chemical engineering | 2 | 2 | <1% |
| Ecology | 0 | 2 | <1% |
| Electronics engineering | 2 | 2 | <1% |
| Genetics | 0 | 2 | <1% |
| Pharmacology | 1 | 2 | <1% |
| Physics | 2 | 2 | <1% |
| Speech pathology and audiology | 2 | 2 | <1% |
| Animal health technician | 0 | 1 | <1% |
| Diagnostic radiologic technologist | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Engineering and architecture student trainee | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Geography | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Materials engineering | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Medical instrument technician | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Physiology | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Sociology | 1 | 1 | <1% |
| Other | 1,088 | 4,285 | 41% |
| Total | 2,674 | 12,911 | 100% |
Data sourced from AFGE 2883 members and workforce analysis as of mid-March 2025.
Help Document the Impact
If you have been affected by these RIF actions, your experience matters. Contact AFGE Local 2883 to share your story and help build the record of how these cuts have impacted CDC's mission.
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