CDC Workforce Down 30% as Layoffs and Exits Mount
Quick answer: A union-backed analysis released this week estimates the CDC workforce fell about 30%, from 12,705 civil service employees in March 2025 to roughly 8,895 working staff by May 2026. The loss of 3,810 people came from retirements, resignations, ended appointments and layoffs. The figures are estimates, not an official CDC headcount.
Key Takeaways
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an estimated 30% fewer working civil service employees than it did in March 2025, according to a union-backed analysis.
About 3,539 employees left between March 2025 and May 2026, and another 271 laid-off workers remain on paid administrative leave under a court order.
Voluntary retirements (857) and resignations (837) were the largest categories of departures, ahead of ended appointments (642) and layoffs (572).
The CDC's estimated decline is well above the 19.4% drop across the federal government over the same period.
HHS says new CDC leadership is reviewing the agency's structure, while the union warns that cuts have continued since May.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is running with roughly 30% fewer active civil service employees than it had in the spring of 2025, according to a new analysis backed by the union that represents CDC workers in Atlanta and Miami. The estimate, published this week, puts the Atlanta-based agency at about 8,895 working employees in May 2026, down from 12,705 in March 2025.
The numbers were compiled by the Public Data Observatory and confirmed by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2883. They are estimates rather than an official headcount, but they offer one of the most detailed public views so far of how the nation's main public health agency has shrunk.
How many CDC employees have left?
The analysis counts 3,539 people who left the agency between March 2025 and May 2026. Another 271 employees who were laid off are still on paid administrative leave because of a court order, meaning they are paid but not doing their regular work. Taken together, that is an estimated loss of 3,810 working staff, or about 30% of the earlier workforce.
According to the breakdown reported by CBS News Atlanta, the largest groups of employees who left were:
857 who retired voluntarily
837 who resigned
642 whose appointments expired or ended for other reasons
572 who were separated through layoffs
Separately, 271 laid-off employees have not left the payroll; they remain on paid administrative leave.
The union says a total of 843 workers were affected by reductions in force, combining the 572 who were separated and the 271 still on leave. Formal layoffs account for 572 of the departures, while retirements, resignations and ended appointments each make up a larger share.
How was the estimate calculated?
Researchers compared the union's March 2025 staffing data with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services online employee directory as it stood in May 2026. That directory can be searched by name, title, organization or agency.
The count covers full-time civil service staff and some fellows. It leaves out contractors and officers of the U.S. Public Health Service, so the total number of people working on CDC programs is different from the figure in the report.
How does the CDC compare with the rest of the federal government?
The analysis found that the CDC's effective workforce decline of 30% was well above the 19.4% decline across the federal government during the same March 2025 to May 2026 window. For context, the data indicate that average yearly turnover among federal employees was about 6% before 2025.
AFGE Local 2883 has also launched a website that tracks changes by CDC center, division and branch. The union says at least 18 of the 135 divisions it tracks, and 79 of 556 tracked branches, no longer have any staff.
What are officials and the union saying?
Union President Yolanda Jacobs described the period as 18 months of layoffs and reductions in force. "We have lost nearly a third of our dedicated civil service workers at CDC in just a little over a year," she said, calling the situation abnormal and warning about damage to public health infrastructure.
HHS responded that the agency's new leadership is reviewing how the CDC is organized and run. A department spokesperson said Dr. Schwartz and the leadership team are working to make sure the CDC advances the priorities of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy and fulfills its core public health mission, and that the agency continues to protect Americans and communicate about vaccination.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, cited the report in a statement calling on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign. She also urged that the more than 200 experts on administrative leave be brought back to work.
What happens next?
The union says staff reductions have continued since the May 2026 snapshot. With the agency's structure under review by new leadership, further changes to staffing and organization remain possible, and the union's tracking site is expected to show how individual programs are affected.
What this means for you
If you work for the CDC or another federal health agency, or are thinking about applying, here is practical guidance drawn from these developments:
Check your status in writing. Employees on administrative leave tied to a court order should keep copies of every notice and stay in contact with HR and, where relevant, their union local.
Know your options before you leave. Retirements and resignations were the two largest categories of departures in this report. Before choosing either, review eligibility rules and benefit effects with your agency's HR office.
Look at adjacent employers. Public health skills transfer to state and local health departments, hospitals, universities and private research groups, which may be hiring as federal roles shrink.
Watch federal job postings closely. When agencies reorganize, openings can be limited or shift to new offices, so set alerts and read each announcement's requirements carefully.
Expect slower services. For the public and partners, fewer staff can mean delays; build extra time into grant, data or guidance requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has the CDC workforce shrunk?
A union-backed analysis estimates the CDC's working civil service staff fell about 30%, from 12,705 in March 2025 to roughly 8,895 in May 2026. That equals an estimated loss of 3,810 employees.
Were most CDC job losses caused by layoffs?
No. Layoffs separated 572 employees, while 857 retired voluntarily, 837 resigned and 642 had appointments expire or end. Another 271 laid-off workers remain on paid administrative leave under a court order.
Is the 30% figure an official CDC number?
No. It is an estimate by the Public Data Observatory, confirmed by AFGE Local 2883, based on union data and the HHS employee directory. It excludes contractors and U.S. Public Health Service officers.
How does the CDC decline compare with other federal agencies?
The analysis found the CDC's 30% decline was higher than the 19.4% drop across the federal government over the same period. Before 2025, average yearly federal turnover was about 6%.
What has HHS said about CDC staffing?
HHS said new CDC leadership is evaluating the agency's structure and operations to advance the administration's priorities and fulfill its core public health mission. It added that the CDC continues to protect Americans and communicate about vaccination.
Sources
This article was compiled from the sources listed above with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. Published October 2, 2026. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.