The Trump administration has ordered a reduction in the workforce of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), leading to layoffs of employees responsible for food safety, medical devices, and other regulated products.
According to unnamed FDA officials, employees on probationary status received notices on Saturday evening informing them that their positions were being eliminated.
The exact number of job cuts remains unclear, but reports indicate that the layoffs primarily affect FDA centers overseeing food safety, medical devices, and tobacco products, including e-cigarette regulation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had announced plans on Friday to cut 5,200 probationary employees, impacting the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the FDA.
With its headquarters in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., the FDA employs approximately 20,000 people.
