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USDA expects ‘significant number’ of staff facing relocation to leave their jobs
Federal News Network • • nation
Key Points:
- The USDA is implementing a large-scale reorganization requiring thousands of employees to relocate nationwide, with many expected to decline and leave, leading to significant staffing reductions across the agency.
- Internal documents reveal USDA anticipates high attrition rates from relocations, using this to meet workforce reduction goals, despite Secretary Brooke Rollins denying it is a large-scale workforce cut.
- Employee unions and nonprofits have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the reorganization, arguing USDA lacks congressional authorization and that staffing losses will severely impair critical programs like food assistance.
- The USDA’s plan includes drastic cuts to various subagencies, with some facing workforce reductions of up to nearly 50%, raising concerns about diminished capacity to fulfill legal mandates and deliver services.
- Surveys show a majority of affected employees prefer to quit rather than relocate, and previous relocations have led to significant productivity declines, fueling union warnings about widespread harm to agency functions and employee welfare.
