DOGE finalises shutting down USAID, employees to be laid off by September 2025: Report

The move by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency will have fired all employees in USAID locally, and abroad, by September this year.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk is set to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for good, with all employees to be fired by September 2025, reported Reuters.

The process of shutting down USAID began in February, with workers getting placed on indefinite leave by the Trump administration as a part of cost-cutting initiatives(AP)

On Friday, Congress was notified that almost all of the USAID employees would be fired by September, its offices abroad would be shut down, and some functions would be transferred to the state department.

The USAID human resources office has allegedly informed regional bureaus, in a conference call, that more than 10,000 locally-hired foreign workers, would receive lay-off notices, which would be effective from August, 2025, reported Reuters citing anonymous officials familiar with the matter.

They also reported that notices would be sent to more than 600 US diplomats and numerous civil servants working in foreign countries. Their jobs will be terminated by July, in order to end all “programmatic work."

“This is definitely the final closing out,” said a former senior USAID officials, as quoted by Reuters. They added, “Every position eliminated; 100 percent of the agency is RIF’d (Reduction in Force) or will be."

In a summary reviewed by Reuters, USAID personnel were also informed that no one would be retained and to “focus on things to make sure you’re getting the right benefits.”

Trump administration on USAID

After US President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that the agency was run by "radical left lunatics," and accused them of carrying out fraud, DOGE cracked down on USAID offices, sending thousands of workers on indefinite administrative leave.

Hundreds of contractors have been axed, and more than 5,000 programs have been terminated, disrupting global humanitarian efforts which were assisted by USAID funding and staff.

Dismantling USAID has already created hurdles, after the US sent teams to Myanmar to help the country after a deadly earthquake. The agency faced issues due to fund cuts, contractor terminations and delays in obtaining visas, amid the imminent shut down.

Sarah Charles, who headed the agency's humanitarian assistance bureau till February 2024, told Reuters, that their ability to help had been hindered by “a lot of internal confusion about capability to respond and willingness to respond.”