The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is preparing to lose an additional 1,029 employees, according to sources that spoke to CBS News. As part of the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management’s mandate for agencies to submit reduction in force plans, which are due by March 13, NOAA will be presenting its plan to the Department of Commerce by Tuesday evening with the proposed cuts.
The Department of Commerce will get a chance to review the proposal and either accept NOAA’s suggestions, or it could ask the agency to make additional changes that would increase or decrease this next round of terminations. Alongside the loss of staff will also be the elimination of programs that currently operate under NOAA’s purview. It’s not known which programs will be impacted.
As one of several scientific agencies within the federal government, NOAA is responsible for everything from weather forecasts, to coastal restoration, managing fisheries, and supporting marine commerce. NOAA’s work supports and affects more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product, according to the agency.
NOAA previously fired 880 employees on Feb. 27, the majority of which were probationary staff with fewer than two years in their positions. In addition to employees who accepted the “fork in the road” buyouts that were offered by the Office of Personnel Management in February, NOAA could potentially see a combined loss of 20% of its staff with this next round of cuts. Before January 2025, NOAA’s workforce exceeded 12,000 people worldwide with more than 50% being scientists and engineers.
A key department within NOAA is the National Weather Service, which is responsible for forecasts, issuing severe weather warnings, and providing other key weather-related services that are vital to protecting public safety. That department already lost hundreds of employees due to scheduled retirements, buyouts, and fired probationary workers. Because of some errors in those probationary firings, a select few at three regional offices have been asked to return to work, but it’s unclear how many employees at the National Weather Service have been reinstated.
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