CDC Rehires Over 460 Laid-Off Employees in U.S. Government Reversal

Strategic Insights -

More than 460 employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who were laid off in a wave of federal health agency cuts are being rehired, federal officials announced. The layoffs were part of a Trump administration plan to eliminate 10,000 health and human services positions, which affected programs focused on lead poisoning, gun violence, smoking, air quality, asthma, and workplace safety. The reinstated employees include staff who tested for HIV and hepatitis, tracked global outbreaks, and helped prevent tuberculosis. The rehiring decisions come after lawsuits challenged the layoffs, with some judges ordering the government to stop terminating workers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 460 CDC employees are being rehired after being laid off in a wave of federal health agency cuts.
  • The layoffs were part of a Trump administration plan to eliminate 10,000 health and human services positions.
  • Programs affected by the layoffs included those focused on lead poisoning, gun violence, smoking, air quality, asthma, and workplace safety.
  • The reinstated employees include staff who tested for HIV and hepatitis, tracked global outbreaks, and helped prevent tuberculosis.
  • About 200 of the reinstated workers were from the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention.
  • Another 150 workers were from the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, which includes a lab that tests for lead poisoning.
  • Layoffs at federal health agencies were challenged in lawsuits, and in some cases, judges have ordered the government to stop terminating workers.
  • This is not the first time CDC employees were told to return after being let go, with around 180 workers being brought back in March.
  • Many affected workers say the damage has already been done, and more action is needed to restore affected programs.
  • Fired But Fighting, an advocacy group of affected workers, is calling for answers and the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Statistics:

  • Over 460 CDC employees are being rehired.
  • The layoffs affected 2,400 CDC employees as part of a Trump administration plan to eliminate 10,000 health and human services positions.
  • The affected programs included those focused on lead poisoning, gun violence, smoking, air quality, asthma, and workplace safety.
  • About 200 of the reinstated workers are from the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention.
  • Another 150 workers are from the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health.
  • The government has ordered judges to stop terminating workers in some cases.

Sources:

  • Associated Press, June 11, 2025