CDC Layoffs Hit Atlanta as Thousands Face Unemployment

Layoffs started. Atlanta-based CDC employees received pink slips Tuesday as the Trump administration began cutting thousands of federal health jobs.

🏥 Why It Matters: Atlanta residents working at the CDC now face unemployment during a major government restructuring that could impact the region’s economy and the nation’s ability to track diseases.

📋 What’s Happening: The Department of Health and Human Services is eliminating positions across major health agencies.

• 2,400 CDC positions will be cut, according to HHS
• Officials say up to 10,000 total health department workers nationwide will lose their jobs

🔍 Between the Lines: The timing creates challenges for workers attempting to form a union.

• President Trump signed an executive order last week affecting collective bargaining rights for federal workers
• Approximately 2,000 Atlanta CDC employees had recently joined a union, with hundreds more attempting to join

💉 Catch Up Quick: The cuts come alongside other health funding reductions.

• HHS recently pulled back over $11 billion in COVID-related funding.
• Local health departments are assessing potential job losses from this separate funding reduction.