Layoff announcements surge to the most since the pandemic as Musk’s DOGE slices federal labor forceApr 3 202510:06 AM EDT Jeff Cox

Key Points

• Furloughs in the federal government totaled 216,215 for March, part of a total 275,240 reductions overall in the labor force, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

• The monthly total was surpassed only by April and May of 2020 in the early days of the pandemic when employers announced combined reductions of more than 1 million.

A surge in federal government job cuts contributed to a near record-setting pace for announced layoffs in March, exceeded only by when the country shut down in 2020 for the Covid pandemic, according to a report Thursday from job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Furloughsin the federal governmenttotaled 216,215 for the month, part of a total 275,240 reductions overall in the labor force.Some 280,253 layoffs across 27 agenciesin the past two months have been linked to the Elon Musk-led so-called Department of Government Efficiency and its efforts to pare down the federal workforce. (Do any of these numbers make sense anons? They are intentionally making it difficult to figure out what’s the bottom line.)

The monthly total was surpassed only by April and May of 2020in the early days of the pandemic when employers announced combined reductions of more than 1 million, according to Challenger records going back to 1989. It also was the highest March on record.

“Job cut announcements were dominated last month by Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] plans to eliminate positions in the federal government,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president and workplace expert at the firm. “It would have otherwise been a fairly quiet month for layoffs.” However, DOGE has continued to cut aggressively across the government.

Various reportshave indicated that the Veterans Affairs Department(VA), could lose 80,000 jobs, theIRS is in line for some 18,000reductions and The Treasury is expected to drop a “substantial” level of workers as well, according to a court filing. (CNBC intentionally doesn’t state the total employees trick: VA faces 15% workforce reduction, to reduce to 2019 level staffing: ==There are currently 482,000 employees of the VA. A half a million people and removing 15% or 80,000 is a big problem?)

The year-to-date tally for federal government announced layoffs represents a 672% increase from the same period in 2024, according to Challenger.To be sure,the outsized layoff plans haven’t made their way into other jobs data.(So that 672% increase is all bullshit because it's not part of the state and country total layoffs.)

Weekly unemployment claims have held in a fairly tight range since President Donald Trump took office. Payroll growth has slowed a bit from its pace in 2024 but is still positive, while job openings have receded but only to around their pre-pandemic levels.

However, the Washington, D.C., area has been hit particularly hard by the announced layoffs, which have totaled 278,711 year to date for the city, according to the report. (They quoted another number in the 3rd paragraph)

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/03/layoff-announcements-surge-to-the-most-since-the-pandemic-as-musks-doge-slices-federal-labor-force.html

Georgia Democrats Walk Out In Support Of Taxpayer-Funded Sex Changes For Inmates

Georgia House Democrats staged a walkout Wednesday, leaving the chamber in protest as they debated bill that would end taxpayer-funded sex changes for inmates.

(OH HELL NO, not in my state) Mariane Angela April 2, 20259:03 PM ET

Georgia House Democrats staged a walkout at the Georgia State Capitol Wednesday, leaving the chamber in protest as lawmakersdebated a bill that would end taxpayer-funded sex change surgeries for state prison inmates. (wait who let them do it in the first place?)

The walkout occurred amidst a heated debate over Senate Bill (SB) 185,which subsequently passed the House by a 100-2 vote, with all Democrats opting out of the votethrough their departure, according to Fox Atlanta. The bill received opposition solely from Georgia Democratic Rep. Regina Lewis-Ward and David Sampson. They cast the only two ‘no’ votes while their colleagues walked out in protest. The bill now awaits Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature.

SB 185 prohibits the use of state funds for sex change surgeries, hormone replacement therapies and cosmetic procedures designed to alter sexual characteristics for state inmates in Georgia. Exceptions are allowed for medically necessary treatments unrelated to gender dysphoria, specific congenital conditions, partial androgen insensitivity syndrome and for continuing pre-existing hormone therapies solely for transitional purposes.

Before the walkout, Republican Georgia Rep. Scott Hilton, who introduced the bill on the House floor, said thathis constituents oppose using taxpayer money for sex change surgeries for inmates in state custody, saying it provides better health care than what “law-abiding citizens” receive. However, Democratic Georgia Rep. Tanya Miller, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, criticized Republicans for focusing on this bill when she said that only five state inmates have requested such care. She said debating the issue on the penultimate day of this year’s legislative session overlooks more urgent concerns like education, healthcare and public safety. (Democrats constituents are criminals in jail.)

“Our constituents sent us here to address serious pressing issues affecting their daily lives,” Miller said. “Yet, instead of addressing real problems, my colleagues in the majority party continue their extreme agenda.”

After the Democrats walked out of the chamber, Republican Rep. Trey Kelley denounced their exit and said thatleaving the chamber instead of advocating for fiscal responsibility was disgraceful. Republican House Majority Whip James Burchett said that elections have outcomes and added that Georgia taxpayers deem this issue significant and oppose funding elective surgeries.

Republicans said that the bill allows for exceptions, permitting the Georgia Department of Corrections to cover treatments deemed medically necessary, including for inmates with chromosomal abnormalities that cause ambiguous biological sex. In response, Miller said that the bill is an assault on Georgia’s transgender community.

California provides sex change surgeries for inmates, having spent over $4 million on such procedures since 2017. The state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has seen a significant increase in requests for these surgeries, with numbers expected to rise further in the coming years.

In contrast, states like Georgia, Idaho and Texas have enacted strict limitations or outright bans on providing sex change surgeries to minors and, in some cases, extended these restrictions to adults, including inmates.

https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2025/04/02/georgia-democrats-walk-out-in-support-of-taxpayer-funded-sex-changes-for-inmates/