Since February of 2025, thousands of government employees have been fired as a part of the new Trump administration’s efforts to cut federal funding. The first round of terminations started with probationary employees, also known as new hires. Now, the terminations seem to be slowly moving up to employees who have worked for the government longer. 

The government was once a career that provided job security, but now, some government employees believe it’s no longer as secure.       

One government employee, who asked to remain anonymous, has worked in different departments of the government for over 20 years. She explained that she initially got into the government because of job stability and good health insurance. She said things have changed since the recent firings. She described the environment as having “decreased morale, feelings of insecurity.” She also said a question has crossed many of their minds as they were told they were terminated based on their performance. “Many had good performances,” she said. “This caused much confusion.”

She’s begun looking for other positions in the state government and large government contracts. 

“As a well-educated government worker, it seems my pay in the private sector will be higher than that of working for the federal government. There is no stability in a government position under this administration,” she said. 

When looking for other positions, she has not run into any issues because she is applying for positions in other governmental departments rather than within the federal government, and plans to “not look for a federal government position under this administration.” She said in her more than 20 years’ experience, being an extremely skilled and dedicated worker has helped her when applying to other positions. 

Though this has caused her to look elsewhere for a position in the government, she described an experience for some who plan to transition away from the government completely. “Most private companies are insecure, have poor retirement, poor medical plans and hire only those they know, which only causes problems,” she explained. “In my government career, I have been selected for all positions because of my skills on a piece of paper, my education and my expertise. There will be no barriers for me specifically; however others should fear the government workforce taking over their positions due to their poor skills.”

Another government employee, who also asked to remain anonymous, has worked in the government for five years, for both the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. He described how government is known for its job security and benefits. He has described the recent firings as having been handled horribly. “There is going to be a big loss of subject matter experts and knowledge,” he said. He also argued that the environment is going to be unsteady, along with “everyday wondering if we are next.”

Like other government employees, he has looked for other positions that will be more secure in this administration. He explained, “There is no guidance on if those positions are actually hiring or are going to be let go.” He has contemplated not going back to the government as well, due to the unknown and constant changes. But going into the civilian world does not seem easier as he is now “a high level GS grade with no degree.” 

“My current rank is seen as being higher than somebody with a PhD,” he said. “With this, going into the civilian world, my pay for a position may be significantly lower.”

Many of these government employees face different challenges than their peers. 

Another insight into the experience about these recent terminations is from a government employee who’s worked for the government for 10 years in the Social Security Administration. Also asking for anonymity, she said she feels disgusted, confused, and disappointed about it all. She went into the government because she was a single mom who didn’t want to worry about losing a job.

She said the environment she has seen recently is poor. “Morale is down everywhere,” she said. “No one is happy anymore. We are all worried and concerned if we will have jobs or not.” 

However, she has not looked into other government positions, despite the stressful environment. Yet she has seen others lose their jobs in other departments and whole departments diminish. “Like some other government employees, switching to a civilian job has its barriers,” she explained. In her situation, she said, “Pay and us having specialized job experience that doesn’t always help with non-government jobs” is the largest hindrance.