The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will reduce its staff by nearly 30,000 employees by the end of 2025.
According to the VA, as of January 2025, there were approximately 484,000 people employed at the VA. By June 1, 2025, there were 467,000 employees, a reduction of 17,000.
The VA stated that it expected to reduce staff by an additional 12,000 people between now and September 30. The department indicated that employee positions will be eliminated through various methods, including hiring freezes, voluntary early retirement, and a deferred resignation program.
The VA stated that it does not expect the reductions to impact veteran care or benefits.
The James Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa said they do not expect to be impacted by the reductions, releasing a statement:
"These staff reductions have not affected the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital benefits or services. As the release states, 'VA has multiple safeguards in place to ensure these staff reductions do not impact Veteran care or benefits. All VA mission-critical positions are exempt from the DRP and VERA, and more than 350,000 positions are exempt from the federal hiring freeze.'"
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