The Trump administration has initiated a new phase of employment reductions, targeting over 1,000 positions within the nation’s weather, ocean, and fisheries agency. These changes have been confirmed by four individuals with insight into the matter. According to these insiders, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began implementing plans on Tuesday to downsize its workforce by 10%. Agency personnel were briefed on the upcoming cuts, and managers were instructed to submit the names of positions selected for layoffs to NOAA’s headquarters. These recommendations will then be forwarded to the Department of Commerce, NOAA’s parent organization, the following day.
Several former high-ranking NOAA officials, including two ex-political appointees from the Biden administration, have cited the same figure for the layoffs: 1,029 positions, which represents 10% of current staffing. These former officials, along with current NOAA employees, have been informed about the forthcoming reductions. Among NOAA’s many responsibilities are daily weather forecasting, hurricane and tornado warnings, climate observation, fisheries management, and more. The organization also plays a vital role in alerting the public to potential avalanches and space weather threats that could impact the electrical grid.
This recent wave of job cuts follows earlier initiatives under the Trump administration that involved firings and stimulated retirements, alongside the almost complete cessation of new hiring last month. Post these developments, NOAA will have reduced its workforce by about 25% since President Trump’s inauguration. Former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad criticized these measures, asserting that they undermine the agency’s core mission and speaking to the lack of guidance from the Trump administration on how these cuts should be managed.
Monica Allen, a NOAA spokesperson, declined to address personnel issues directly but affirmed the agency’s continued commitment to its public safety mission, including providing weather forecasts and warnings. Recently, NOAA has reduced the release of weather balloons essential for precise forecasting in Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine, due to staffing insufficiencies. All these developments unfold against the backdrop of an anticipated severe weather system expected to move through central and southern states, potentially bringing strong tornadoes and damaging winds.
Former NOAA Chief Scientist Craig McLean expressed concerns that these reductions will soon start negatively impacting weather forecasts and commercial fishing activities. He emphasized that ensuing cuts in academic research grants will likely hinder ongoing improvements in forecasting and climate monitoring capabilities. McLean lamented that the ongoing changes could undermine the United States’ standing as a leader in technology and innovation, likening the decline in forecasting capabilities to a setback from the country’s historical achievements.
