FEMA Staff Bracing for Dismissal of 1,000 Disaster Workers

The New York Times•January 7, 2026•nation

Key Points:

FEMA supervisors are preparing staff for the elimination of 1,000 contractual jobs this month as part of changes led by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The job cuts will affect FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees (CORE), who make up nearly 40% of the agency’s workforce and assist with disaster recovery and emergency preparedness.
Three FEMA officials confirmed the planned dismissals, though FEMA has not publicly commented on the situation.
These cuts have raised concerns among FEMA employees about further reductions, with a planning document revealing potential layoffs exceeding 11,500 from a total workforce of approximately 23,000.
The planning document’s existence was first reported