Hundreds Of NOAA Employees Laid Off In Latest Cuts To Federal Workforce

CBS Bay Area

February 28, 2025

Hundreds of staffers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, were laid off Thursday as the Trump administration and its newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, continue slashing the federal workforce.

A congressional source told CBS News the layoffs affected 880 NOAA employees. An administration official told CBS News about 5% of the agency's staff was let go, and individuals deemed critical to NOAA's responsibilities, such as National Weather Service meteorologists, were largely spared. A source at the National Weather Service disputed this, however, telling CBS News some meteorologists were impacted, including radar specialists, as well as staff of the Hurricane Hunters crew, which fly airplanes into storms to help forecasters make accurate predications during a hurricane.

Laid off staffers who were considered probationary employees received an email Thursday, which read in part, "OPM has advised that '[p]robationary periods are an essential tool for agencies to assess employee performance and manage staffing levels.' (4) In light of that guidance, the Agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and/or skills do not fit the Agency's current needs."

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