Over 600 CDC Employees Face Layoffs Amid Federal Restructuring

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is moving forward with layoffs affecting at least 600 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employees, following a federal court ruling tied to a broader government restructuring. While the judge’s decision safeguarded certain positions, many roles—including staff in the Freedom of Information office and violence prevention—remain unprotected.

Roughly 100 violence-prevention experts are among those dismissed, just weeks after a mass shooting at the CDC campus that left a police officer dead and caused extensive damage. Public health advocates have called the cuts “devastating,” noting the irony of losing experts trained to prevent such violence.

The layoffs also affect specialists in reproductive health, environmental health, and workplace safety. Critics warn the downsizing undermines the nation’s ability to confront urgent public health threats, from climate-driven illness to health misinformation, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities.

25-08-2025