In just over two months, the Trump administration has laid off tens of thousands of federal workers at several agencies. Probationary employees, foreign aid staff, and workers dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were the first targets of these cuts that have since spread to include dismantling the U.S. Department of Education—with more to follow. These unprecedented cuts follow President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s mission to downsize the federal government under the guise of cost savings and improved efficiency. While courts have ordered some of these workers to be reinstated, the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have serious implications for federal workers and their families—especially Black workers.
For decades, the federal government has provided stable employment, excellent benefits, and key protections in hiring and promotions that supported a robust Black middle class. Through executive actions and legislation introduced in the 1960s and 1970s, the federal government adopted anti-discrimination and affirmative action practices that increased the number of Black workers in the federal government. Today, Black employees make up 18.5% of the federal workforce, which is greater than their overall share of the U.S. population.
Black federal workers: who they are and what they do
Black federal employees are, on average, a highly educated workforce, with nearly half (45.3%) holding at least a bachelor’s degree—which is higher than the overall share of Black workers (26.2%) with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Additionally, most Black federal employees have long tenures, with 21.1% having served in the government for 20 years or more. Black federal workers are well represented in administrative and technical occupations, which account for fields like clerical services, legal, and medical, hospital, dental, and public health.
Educational attainment, tenure, and occupational categories of Black federal workers
| Share of Black workers | |
|---|---|
| Education | |
| Less than high school | 2.8% |
| High school | 31.3% |
| Some college | 20.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 45.3% |
| Tenure | |
| Less than 1 year | 8.6% |
| 1–4 years | 24.2% |
| 5–9 years | 19.0% |
| 10–19 years | 27.0% |
| 20–34 years | 15.6% |
| 35 years or more | 5.5% |
| Occupational category | |
| Professional | 18.4% |
| Administrative | 43.1% |
| Technical | 20.5% |
| Clerical | 7.2% |
| Other white collar | 3.0% |
| Blue collar | 7.8% |
Note: Shares represent Black alone, non-Hispanic employees only. Within the education categories, some college encompasses those who completed an occupational program and those between high school and a bachelor’s degree.
Source: Office of Personnel Management, FedScope – Federal Workforce Data, last updated September 2024. FedScope does not include the U.S. Postal Service in its data.
Sadly, many of the agencies targeted by the Trump administration for job cuts employ a disproportionate number of Black workers. For example, the Trump administration plans to cut about 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which provides health care and support to millions of veterans. The VA is the largest federal employer overall and employs the highest number of Black workers at over 121,000 employees—approximately 25.2% of its workforce. Though fewer in number than the VA, Black workers are a higher share of those employed at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (36.2%) and the Department of Education (36.0%).