The U.S. government is scrambling to rehire nuclear safety employees it dismissed just days ago, following growing concerns that their termination could compromise national security, according to U.S. media reports.
The employees, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), were among hundreds of workers in the Department of Energy who received termination letters last Thursday. The NNSA oversees the design, construction, and maintenance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.
The mass layoffs were part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping initiative to reduce the size of the federal workforce, a priority he has pursued since taking office less than a month ago. While some reports suggest over 300 NNSA staff were affected, a Department of Energy spokesperson contested this, stating that fewer than 50 were dismissed.
Many of the terminated employees worked at critical facilities responsible for nuclear weapons development. The abrupt dismissals led to an immediate reversal effort, but the administration has struggled to contact the former employees, as they were locked out of their federal email accounts.
A memo obtained by NBC News, sent to NNSA employees on Friday, read: “The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel. Please work with your supervisors to send this information (once you get it) to people’s personal contact emails.”
The layoffs are part of a broader initiative affecting nearly 10,000 federal workers across multiple agencies. This comes in addition to approximately 75,000 employees who voluntarily accepted a buyout offer from the White House in the fall.
Trump’s administration is aggressively cutting government spending, even proposing to eliminate entire departments, such as the Department of Education. The president has enlisted the help of billionaire Elon Musk through an initiative known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aimed at streamlining government operations. Musk’s team has been reviewing federal agency data and facilitating the employee buyout process.
One of the most controversial aspects of the layoffs was the order to terminate nearly all probationary employees—those with less than a year of service—who had not yet secured job protection. This sweeping directive, which included NNSA personnel, could impact hundreds of thousands of workers across various government agencies.
The administration’s drastic workforce reductions have already sparked legal challenges. Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, more than 60 lawsuits have been filed against his administration, contesting various policies and executive orders.
The ongoing attempt to rehire key nuclear safety personnel underscores the unintended consequences of these mass layoffs and raises questions about the administration’s approach to national security and workforce management.
