Elon Musk's DOGE cuts 216,670 federal jobs in March, third-highest monthly total since 1989: Report

DOGE actions also accounted for the majority of job cuts announced by US-based employers in March.

Published on: Apr 4, 2025, 13:18:55 IST

By HT News Desk

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The actions of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, have resulted in 216,670 job cuts to federal workers and contractors in March.

Elon Musk said reports about him stepping down as DOGE chief are 'fake news' (Reuters)

DOGE actions also accounted for the majority of job cuts announced by US-based employers in March, Business Insider reported, citing data from a new report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, is a global outplacement firm.

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This also makes it the third-highest monthly total cuts ever recorded since the company began tracking such data in 1989.

The top two months for job losses previously were in April and May 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report also found that the government led all the sectors in the US when it comes to job cuts last month.

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However, the DOGE office in itself has not confirmed the specific numbers of layoffs yet.

DOGE's job cuts took various forms. At the end of January, more than two million federal workers received buyout offers (Full salary with benefits through September), with 75,000 workers accepting them, according to the report.

DOGE also fired thousands of probationary workers with less than a year or two of service, though two federal judges ruled against it. The White House has since, said that it's complying with the orders as it works through the appeals process.

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The department's efforts to shut down the US Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also resulted in job losses, though this is also being litigated in federal court.

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HT News Desk
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