Fired federal workers worry about financial security in a tight job market
Federal workers who’ve been fired, or expect to be, are angry, confused, and worried about making ends meet.
Hundreds of people came to a resource fair for federal workers and contractors hosted by Rep. Don Beyer on March 8, and several of them shared their stories with Annandale Today.
Lives upended
A federal contractor worker who was fired from her job at USAID said she needs to find another job within two months or will have problems covering her mortgage and basic needs.
She worked for the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance where she specialized on water sanitation in areas hit by conflicts and disasters. Now, she decries the “inhumane treatment” she’s been subjected to by President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
People in her office got a mass email saying “you are terminated. This is your last day,” she said. To help in her job search, she asked for an official letter with her name on it but so far has not gotten a response. (Like most of the people we spoke with, she didn’t feel comfortable giving her name.)
“There are going to be some very difficult economic times for some very good people,” Beyer said.
Beyer spent all afternoon at the event, at Wakefield High School in Arlington, talking to fired federal employees. “I heard many stories about people losing their jobs unexpectedly and don’t know how they’re going to put food on the table,” he said.
It’s going to be challenging for people with highly specialized skills to find new positions. Beyer noted that 4,000 people applied for one job.
At the resource fair, representatives from Fairfax County, Arlington County, and Alexandria agencies handed out information about networking opportunities and public assistance. School systems publicized job openings, and dozens of nonprofits and other organizations offered information on food banks, legal assistance, and job coaching. A seminar on “Know Your Rights as a Federal Worker” filled the Wakefield cafeteria.
J.C., a 30-year-old probationary employee specializing in community revitalization at the Environmental Protection Agency, was on his honeymoon in upstate New York when his job was terminated. “It was a lovely time; it was a winter wonderland with four feet of snow,” he recalled.
He didn’t bring his work laptop with him. When he got back, he found he had been locked out of his work email and was asked to hand over his laptop and employee badge.
J.C. said he never got a formal letter stating he was terminated. And without that, he can’t file for unemployment benefits.
Like many other people we met at the resource fair, he had gotten stellar performance reviews from his manager. He filed an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board on the grounds that he had only been at the EPA for about five months, while the typical probation period is one year. “If someone is fired within that period, it must be for cause,” he said.
J.C. hasn’t gotten a response yet on his appeal. Meanwhile, he’s looking for a private sector job as an urban planner, urban designer, or economist.
A competitive job market
A 45-year-old economist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is hoping for a good outcome from a lawsuit in federal court in D.C. charging the termination of workers is illegal.
“All probationary employees and recent college graduates at the EPA were illegally fired,” he said. “They’re trying to shut us down.”
Even though a temporary restraining order is in place, “it’s a credible threat,” he said. He was subjected to “forced administrative leave from Feb. 10 to Feb. 28. They told us to stop all work.” The GSA canceled the lease on their building.
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He still has a job but doesn’t know for how long. He’s looking for another position as a data scientist or economist, but “we’re all competing for the same jobs.”
A 56-year-old who lost her job at the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a program funded by the State Department, is worried about how she will support her family.
She got a letter on Jan. 24 telling her to stop working and was locked out of the office computer system.
Her office helped 10,000 legal immigrants from all over the world resettle in the U.S. in 2024. Now she needs help herself, and attended the resource fair to see what kind of housing assistance is available.
She’s been looking for a job every day, but “it’s been very difficult.” She hasn’t had any interviews yet.
She expects whatever job she finds will pay much less than the job she had. “I’m hoping for an office job, but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll look at waitress jobs.”
K.J., a 36-year-old single mother from Alexandria, is also expecting a big pay cut if she finds another job.
As a contract worker at USAID, she said she was “immediately severed under the DEI umbrella on Jan. 22.” She didn’t receive a warning, and as a contract worker, is not eligible for severance pay.
“There are tons of competition” in the job market right now, K.J. says. “The immediate impact on my livelihood is devastating.” She’s worried about paying rent and taking care of her 9-year-old daughter. “I’ve lived according to my means. Now I’m figuring it out day by day.”
People are scared
“Everyone’s really scared right now,” said a 39-year-old from Alexandria who still has a job at the Census Bureau. “There’s no information about what we can expect.”
“It’s clear that the DOGE people are taking pleasure in other people’s suffering,” she said. If she is fired, she has some savings, but notes, “unless you’re wealthy, everyone relies on a paycheck.”
An industry analyst at the Federal Communications Commission, said many of his co-workers expect to be fired soon. “We’re all on edge now.”
The new chair of the FCC appointed by Trump, Brendan Carr, was one of the architects of Project 2025.
While some employees took the buyout, he decided to wait to get fired so he can get unemployment benefits.
“There’s a lot of backstabbing going on in the office, with some people accusing co-workers of not doing good work,” he said. “I don’t trust my supervisor. I don’t feel safe.”
He’s been with the government for 25 years. As a 61-year-old, he’s thinking of retiring but wants to make sure he’ll still be able to access federal health benefits.
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“It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see what’s happening here,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Jeffrey McKay. “Very talented, sophisticated, mission-oriented public servants doing their jobs have been recklessly terminated. They’re spending their Saturday afternoon here trying to figure out what to do next.”
“It’s unacceptable,” McKay said. “I hope the governor sees all these Virginians, because the governor should be helping with this, and instead has decided this is okay.”
“This is not okay. This is not normal,” he said. “Northern Virginia’s economy is under attack, which means Virginia’s economy is under attack.”
