Breaking: Education Department Laying Off Half Its Workforce as Trump Prepares to Abolish Agency

The Department of Education is laying off about 50 percent of its workforce starting this week as President Donald Trump prepares to formally abolish the agency through a planned executive order.

The job cuts affect roughly 1,300 career employees, who were told to turn in government property and clean out their desks before leaving. Nearly 600 employees who voluntarily resigned or retired are included in the reduction-in-force action. The mass layoffs were announced on Tuesday evening.

"Today's reduction in force reflects the Department of Education's commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers," Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.

"I appreciate the work of the dedicated public servants and their contributions to the Department. This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system."

The announcement comes hours after Education Department employees received an email telling them to vacate their office buildings by 6 p.m. on Tuesday for “security reasons” and not return to work until Thursday. The department’s offices in Washington, D.C., and other regions will be closed on Wednesday.

Approximately 3,000 employees worked in the department’s Washington headquarters, and another 1,000 were employed in ten regional offices across the U.S. The total number is now 2,183, roughly half of the previous 4,133 employees. Those affected will be placed on administrative leave starting next Friday, March 21.

Amid the mass layoffs, the department will continue serving its key functions, such as student loan management and oversight of Pell grants.

This development comes as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency continues shutting down federal offices and terminating employees as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reduce government spending. Last month, DOGE canceled several Education Department contracts amounting to millions of dollars.

In recent days, reports have indicated that Trump is planning to sign an executive order that will abolish the Education Department. The order was expected last week until the White House pulled the anticipated signing seemingly because of concerns of blowback against the administration.

McMahon said Trump “certainly intends” to sign the order, citing his campaign promise to dissolve the department. It just remains unclear when the order will be signed.

“I don’t know. I don’t want to get ahead of the president,” she said on Fox & Friends on Friday. “I think you’d have to check with the White House.”

Notably, McMahon admitted that the U.S. does not need the Education Department. The Senate confirmed McMahon to the cabinet-level position early last week.

During her confirmation hearing, McMahon described the Education Department as an agency "in decline" and announced her intention to "invest in teachers, not Washington bureaucrats." She has expressed support for offering more school-choice options and expanding scholarship programs.

In her new role, McMahon is responsible for enforcing Trump's directives to cut back on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in education, investigate campus antisemitism, and keep men out of women's sports. She has said the department’s authority should be turned back to the states.