From Mother Jones · Sophie Hurwitz · · 1m 40s
CDC lost a third of its workforce in one year
A union report shows the nation's top public health agency hemorrhaged 3,000 employees under the Trump administration, crippling its ability to respond to disease outbreaks.
In brief
A union report shows the nation's top public health agency hemorrhaged 3,000 employees under the Trump administration, crippling its ability to respond to disease outbreaks. The CDC has lost roughly one-third of its staff since March 2025, including entire departments, leaving it unable to mount basic public health…
CDC lost a third of its staff
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shed roughly 3,000 employees between March 2025 and April 2026, according to a union report documenting the first year of the Trump administration.
“The nation's premier public health agency lost a third of its workforce from March 2025 through April 2026, the union says.”
Entire departments were eliminated
Two CDC units, the Office of Health Equity and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, were completely shut down in 2025. Nearly all of the agency's human resources staff also left.
“Those job losses include 100 percent of the staff at two CDC units, the Office of Health Equity and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, that were entirely eliminated in 2025.”
Elon Musk's efficiency push triggered exodus
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency gutted the CDC in spring 2025. Many employees whose jobs survived that initial cut then voluntarily quit or retired in the following months.
Agency now 'zombified' and unresponsive
A former CDC director called the depleted agency 'zombified.' The CDC has failed to respond adequately to measles, cyclosporiasis, and rabies outbreaks, and made no recommendation on a new flu vaccine approved in August.
“What we are witnessing is the dismantling of public health infrastructure our country relies on.”
Vaccine advisers haven't met once
The CDC's vaccine advisory group has not held a single meeting this year, a stark contrast to 2024 when it regularly published detailed vaccine recommendations and endorsements by this time.
“By this time of year in 2024, the CDC had published detailed recommendations for vaccines against respiratory diseases.”
Union warns of public health crisis
The American Federation of Government Workers says the staffing collapse has dismantled critical public health infrastructure. Union leaders argue protecting CDC employees is essential to protecting public health.
“Protecting our nation's public health workers also protects our nation's public health.”
The one thing
The CDC has lost roughly one-third of its staff since March 2025, including entire departments, leaving it unable to mount basic public health responses.
