On July 18th, local time, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would reduce its workforce by at least 23% through early retirement and layoffs.
The agency stated that as of January this year, it had a total of 16,155 employees. Following these restructuring measures, it is expected that the total number will decrease to 12,448. Additionally, the US EPA mentioned that the size of the agency might further be reduced.
On July 8th, local time, the US Supreme Court overturned a lower court order, allowing the Trump administration to advance its plan to cut federal employment and dissolve federal agencies.
In February this year, President Trump signed an executive order to significantly reduce the federal workforce, affecting departments such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Health and Human Services, the State Department, the Treasury Department, the Veterans Affairs Administration, and more than ten federal agencies. According to a Reuters survey, by the end of April, approximately 260,000 civil servants in the United States were laid off, resigned, or retired due to related streamlining plans. (Xu Tao)