The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) announced Friday that it will reduce its workforce by 7,000 employees as part of the Trump administration’s plan to streamline the federal government. The move represents a 12% workforce reduction at the agency, which provides benefits to 73 million retired and disabled Americans each month.
“The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission-critical services,” the SSA said in a statement. The agency has set a new staffing target of 50,000 employees, down from its current level of approximately 57,000.
As part of the restructuring, SSA will also close several regional offices, reducing the number from 10 to 4.
The Social Security Administration is considered a vital provider of benefits to elderly Americans, with its budget traditionally viewed as off-limits for reductions. During his re-election campaign, President Donald Trump repeatedly vowed not to cut Social Security while pursuing broader government spending reductions.
The White House and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The agency’s restructuring follows the resignation of two dozen senior SSA staff members, according to an internal memo written by acting commissioner Leland Dudek. Dudek recently took over the agency following the resignation of Michelle King, the previous acting commissioner. King stepped down over concerns that members of billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE had gained access to SSA’s computer systems, which store the personal data of tens of millions of Americans.
The Trump administration, in coordination with DOGE, has downsized more than 100,000 federal civilian positions from the government’s 2.3 million-employee workforce through layoffs and buyouts. Both Trump and Musk have argued that the government remains bloated and inefficient.
The SSA job cuts mark one of the most significant reductions in the agency’s history, raising concerns about service delivery and administrative capacity for millions of Americans relying on Social Security benefits.
Reuters
