Julia Christine Botin

Most USAID workers to be fired or placed on leave

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>WASHINGTON - Most employees at USAID will be placed on leave or fired by midnight on Sunday, the aid agency said, as President Donald Trump&#x27;s administration plows ahead in slashing government spending.</p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABUN-cSC4TviJLaV"></script><div><br/></div><p>Around 1,600 workers based in the United States will be laid off in a &quot;reduction-in-force&quot; effort, according to a notice on the US Agency for International Development&#x27;s website.</p><p>All other staff directly hired by USAID will be placed on administrative leave globally, except those responsible for &quot;mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programs.&quot;</p><p>The move is a step forward in Trump&#x27;s effort to dismantle USAID, which has more than 10,000 employees and operates an array of humanitarian and development programs around the world.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/2/8/fact-check-trump-s-team-targets-usaid-with-false-claims-0843">Fact check: Trump&#x27;s team targets USAID with false claims</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/2/8/what-do-usaid-cutbacks-mean-for-development-aid-1125">What do USAID cutbacks mean for development aid?</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/2/4/usaid-freeze-calls-into-question-billions-in-support-for-poorest-countries-0914">USAID freeze calls into question billions in support for poorest countries</a></div><div><br/></div><p>The agency announced earlier this month that all staff would be placed on administrative leave -- a directive that faced legal challenges.</p><p>But on Friday, a federal judge lifted an order pausing the Trump administration&#x27;s implementation of plans to gut USAID.</p><p>In its statement on Sunday, the agency said that remaining staff expected to continue working would be informed by management by 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) that day.</p><p>USAID added that it will fund return travel expenses for staff based overseas.</p><p>&quot;In the coming week, we will provide details on how to retrieve personal items from the former USAID workspaces and return government issued devices,&quot; it said.</p><p>Trump and his allies -- including billionaire donor Elon Musk -- allege USAID is rife with &quot;fraud,&quot; but have provided little proof of the accusations.</p><p>Its budget of more than $40 billion is mandated by Congress, with its programs ranging from governance to life-saving food assistance.</p><p>The decades-old agency has, over the years, faced criticism in the aid sector for its overhead costs and questions on whether some of its programs achieve their objectives.</p><p>USAID has, however, also been a key US tool of global &quot;soft power&quot; -- the ability of a country to persuade others through its attractiveness.</p><p>bur-bjt/sw</p><p>© Agence France-Presse</p>

<p>Most employees at USAID will be placed on leave or fired by midnight on Sunday, the aid agency said, as President Donald Trump's administration plows ahead in slashing government spending.</p>

Most employees at USAID will be placed on leave or fired by midnight on Sunday, the aid agency said, as President Donald Trump's administration plows ahead in slashing government spending.