Trump administration reinstates US workplace safety researchers after sweeping layoffs

Federal officials are reinstating hundreds of US health workers who were laid off last year from a small but legally mandated workplace safety agency, according to information confirmed by government officials and a federal workers’ union.The layoffs occurred in April, when the Trump administration sharply reduced staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH. At the time, close to 900 of the agency’s roughly 1,000 employees were terminated, affecting scientists, engineers and public health specialists who research and recommend ways to prevent work-related injury, illness and death, the Associated Press reports.

The April decision and its fallout

The cuts were part of a broader restructuring of the federal workforce led by then-adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. The move drew criticism from firefighters’ groups, coal miners, medical equipment manufacturers and public health advocates, according to the AP.Some employees were reinstated last year following legal challenges and political pressure, including staff involved in a health monitoring program for coal miners in West Virginia.

Union confirms rescinded terminations

The American Federation of Government Employees said this week that all remaining terminations have now been rescinded.“The administration’s attempt to lay off nearly every NIOSH worker was shameful and illegal, considering that much of NIOSH’s work is required by law,” AFGE national president Everett Kelley said in a statement, AP reports.

Administration response leaves questions unanswered

A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Wednesday that laid-off NIOSH employees were being reinstated.“The Trump Administration is committed to protecting essential services,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said, citing NIOSH’s role in supporting coal miners and firefighters, according to AP.Nixon did not respond to questions on how many workers were returning, why the layoffs were ordered, or why the department reversed course. Officials said it remains unclear how many former employees will return, as some have taken other jobs or retired.

A smaller CDC workforce remains

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency ended last year with about 10,800 full-time employees, roughly 20% fewer than before the April layoffs, the AP reports.