The U.S. federal government launches layoffs and begins to get serious during the shutdown

As the government shutdown enters its tenth day, the White House says it is making good on its threat to fire thousands of federal employees.
"The layoffs have begun," White House budget director Russell Vought said in a post on social media on Friday. "RIF" here refers to "Reduction in Force".
According to senior White House officials, the shutdown will put thousands of jobs out of work. The specific scale of layoffs is not clear.
Andrew Nixon, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed that department employees were among the affected.
The layoffs mark the first time in modern history that federal employees have been laid off on a large scale during a disruption of government funding, a move that goes beyond the previous practice of taking only unpaid leave during temporary shutdowns. The move further escalates the weeks-long standoff between Trump and Democrats over federal funding and medical subsidies.
"We believe that layoffs during the government shutdown are not only unethical, but also illegal," Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Maryland, said at the U.S. Capitol on Friday.
During the shutdown, more than two-thirds of federal civilian employees remained at their jobs-either as essential staff or in positions that received long-term funding-and the rest were sent home. The vast majority of federal employees are not paid.