TL;DR when the exact numbers get confirmed over the weekend, bust out the dancing bear meme
The specific numbers remain unconfirmed, but it appears as if the US government may have conducted the largest job cut ever this week. Some agencies fired all their probationary employees (meaning new hires, not ne'er-do-wells).
*"Why does this matter?"* you may ask. The government was the 2nd largest source of jobs created in [2024](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/11/where-new-jobs-were-in-2024-and-potential-growth-areas-in-a-second-trump-term.html).
For reference, the largest job cut ever was by IBM in 1993, with [60,000 jobs cut](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2025/02/07/at-least-65000-workers-accept-trumps-buyout-now-the-biggest-job-cut-in-us-history/).
By agency:
[CFPB](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mass-firings-federal-workers-begin-trump-musk-purge-us-government-2025-02-13/)
[Dept of Education](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mass-firings-federal-workers-begin-trump-musk-purge-us-government-2025-02-13/)
[Dept of Energy](https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-to-lay-off-probationary-staff-today/)
[GSA](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mass-firings-federal-workers-begin-trump-musk-purge-us-government-2025-02-13)
[OPM](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-purge-sees-opm-staffers-fired-en-masse-conference-call-sources-2025-02-13/)
[SBA](https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-workers-fired-not-fired-then-terminated-sba-2025-2)
[USFS](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/us-forest-service-to-terminate-3-400-workers-union-leader-says)
[VA](https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-dismisses-more-than-1000-employees)
[NNSA](https://www.npr.org/2025/02/13/nx-s1-5296928/layoffs-trump-doge-education-energy)
[HUD](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-administration-federal-agencies-fire-probationary-employees-rcna192149)
Edit: Employees of other agencies are reporting having gotten fired (USDA, DOI, HHS, CDC, some others).