The U.S. government is urgently trying to rehire nuclear safety employees it dismissed last week, after concerns arose that the layoffs could pose a serious risk to national security, according to U.S. media reports.
The workers, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), were among hundreds of Department of Energy (DOE) employees who received termination letters on Thursday. The DOE oversees the design, construction, and management of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, making the sudden job cuts particularly alarming.
The dismissals are part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping plan to reduce the federal workforce, a project he launched immediately after taking office less than a month ago. While sources cited by U.S. media suggested that more than 300 NNSA staff were let go, a DOE spokesperson told CNN that the number was actually fewer than 50.
Sudden Layoffs, Rehiring Challenges
The layoffs affected employees stationed at nuclear weapons facilities, raising immediate security concerns. Recognizing the risks, the Trump administration has since tried to reverse the terminations. However, officials have struggled to reach many of the fired employees because they lost access to their federal email accounts.
An internal memo sent to NNSA employees on Friday—obtained by NBC News—acknowledged the difficulties in contacting former staff:
“The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel.”
The memo urged employees to help track down their former colleagues using personal contact information.
A Broader Effort to Slash Government Jobs
The NNSA firings are part of a much larger initiative by Trump to reduce government spending and shrink federal agencies. Over the past week, nearly 10,000 federal employees were dismissed across multiple agencies, according to U.S. media. This follows a voluntary buyout program last autumn, in which an estimated 75,000 workers accepted financial incentives to leave their jobs.
Trump’s cost-cutting agenda has extended to calls for eliminating the Department of Education, among other drastic measures. Assisting in the effort is billionaire Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative has sent analysts into federal agencies to identify redundancies and implement job cuts.
Last week, the administration also ordered agencies to fire nearly all probationary employees, typically workers with less than a year of service, including those at the NNSA.
Legal Challenges Loom
The sweeping job cuts have sparked legal battles, with more than 60 lawsuits already filed against the Trump administration since his January 20 inauguration. Critics argue that the abrupt dismissals, particularly in national security sectors, could jeopardize public safety and violate federal employment laws.
As the rehiring effort continues, officials are racing to address what some experts describe as a self-inflicted crisis—one that could have far-reaching implications for U.S. nuclear security.
