VA Announces Plan to Cut Up to 35,000 Health Care Jobs, Shrinking Workforce 10%
The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to cut as many as 35,000 health care jobs this month, a move that could shrink one of the nation’s largest federal health systems and raise fresh questions about access to veteran care. According to internal memos reported by Forbes and Reuters, most of the targeted positions are currently unfilled but include roles for doctors, nurses and support staff.
The announcement escalates a broader workforce reduction at the VA that has already seen nearly 30,000 jobs eliminated earlier in 2025 through voluntary buyouts and attrition, leaving the department’s total health staff roughly 10% smaller than last year.
Officials say the planned cuts largely involve jobs that have been vacant for extended periods, particularly roles created during the COVID-19 pandemic that the agency now deems unnecessary. A VA spokesperson confirmed that about 26,400 open positions would be removed under the plan.
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However, the reductions come amid already severe shortages of frontline health care workers at VA facilities nationwide, where long wait times and staffing gaps have been documented by watchdog reports. Critics argue that eliminating the potential to fill vacant jobs could exacerbate access issues at a time when applicants to the VA have declined sharply.
“Employees are going to face the brunt of any further job cuts … having to do more work with less,” said Thomas Dargon Jr., deputy general counsel for the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents VA staff.
While VA leaders insist patient care will continue uninterrupted, veteran advocates and some lawmakers worry that trimming capacity in a strained system could delay services and increase workload for existing clinicians.
Lawmakers on relevant committees are expected to press VA officials for further details in upcoming hearings, seeking clarity on how the cuts will affect clinical operations and staffing levels.
The coming weeks will reveal whether the department adjusts its approach in response to mounting concern.
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