The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday that it will cut 10,000 full-time employees across various agencies within the department, which will reduce its workforce from approximately 82,000 to 62,000 employees.
These layoffs add to the 10,000 employees who have already voluntarily left their positions.
The staff reduction is part of a broader restructuring that aims to consolidate the department's internal structure. HHS will reduce its divisions from 28 to 15, establishing a new Administration for a Healthy America.
Additionally, regional offices will be reduced from 10 to 5. According to the department, these changes will save USD 1.8 billion annually in operating costs.
HHS's new focus will be on eradicating the "epidemic of chronic diseases in America", prioritizing the promotion of safe and healthy foods, access to clean water, and the elimination of environmental toxins.
In this context, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explained that the restructuring not only seeks to reduce bureaucracy but also to align the organization with its main mission: addressing chronic diseases more effectively and at a lower cost to taxpayers.
Despite the cuts, HHS assured that essential services such as Medicare, Medicaid, and other essential health services will not be affected. The layoffs will primarily impact administrative areas, including human resources, information technology, procurement, and finance, as well as redundant or duplicated roles within HHS or the federal government in general.
The staff cuts will include 3,500 employees at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although drug reviewers, medical device reviewers, and food inspectors will not be affected.
Additionally, 2,400 positions will be reduced at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,200 employees at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) due to the centralization of procurement, human resources, and communications, and 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Among the main reforms, a new Administration for a Healthy America will be created, which will combine several agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
