In Washington, the Trump administration is initiating another phase of employee reductions, specifically targeting more than 1,000 positions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), according to sources knowledgeable about the situation, some of whom prefer to remain unnamed due to concerns about potential repercussions.
The plans were set in motion as NOAA commenced procedures to cut 10% of its workforce, as stated by various insiders and outside observers of the agency. Employees and managers were informed of the layoffs, with instructions given for managers to submit lists of roles subject to elimination. This information was subsequently forwarded to the headquarters of NOAA for final approval, and will ultimately be presented to its parent entity, the Department of Commerce.
Three ex-senior officials from NOAA, including two appointees from the Biden era, with ongoing communication with current agency managers, identified the impending number of layoffs as 1,029, equating to 10% of the existing workforce of 10,290. These figures were shared by a current employee who recounted details of the reduction strategy explained by a manager during an internal meeting.
NOAA is widely recognized for its routine weather forecasts, but its scope of work extends to hurricane, tornado, flood, and tsunami warnings, managing fisheries, operating marine sanctuaries, providing navigation data to maritime vessels, and tracking climate and oceanic changes. Furthermore, NOAA offers alerts regarding space weather and avalanches, supports disaster responses, such as oil spills.
The coming layoffs are a continuation of earlier personnel cuts and incentivized retirements under the Trump administration, following last month’s reduction in new hires. Should this phase go as planned, the agency will have slated roughly 25% of its positions for removal since President Donald Trump assumed office.
Rick Spinrad, NOAA’s former administrator, lamented the situation, accusing the cuts of diminishing critical operational capabilities without elevating governmental efficiency. He criticized the lack of direction from the administration on effectively implementing these reductions.
Monica Allen, NOAA’s spokesperson, emphasized the confidentiality of internal staffing decisions, reiterating NOAA’s commitment to providing essential weather forecasts, warnings, and safety information.
Recently, NOAA disclosed the suspension of weather balloons used for important data collection in Albany, New York, and Gray, Maine, attributed to staff shortages. This development emerged as meteorologists predicted a robust storm system poised to traverse central and southern U.S. states, with a potentially damaging combination of tornadoes, hail, and strong winds.
Former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean cautioned that deteriorating forecasts could have immediate, visible impacts and impair the commercial fishing industry. He further noted that research grant reductions will impede progress in enhancing U.S. weather prediction capabilities and environmental monitoring.
McLean concluded with a stark prognosis on America’s global standing in technological innovation, reflecting on past achievements like the moon landing and contrasting them with a potentially declining prowess in weather forecasting.
