Social Security Could Cut Up to 50% of Its Workforce

Saturday, March 01, 2025

The Associated Press spoke to anonymous sources who say Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000 and more cuts could follow with up to 50 percent of the workforce being impacted by layoffs.

Posted by Dbt2 at 08:31 PM | 34 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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I think the hope is that people will become so disgruntled with social security because they can't talk to anyone in person, can't get their questions answered over the phone if there is some sort of mix up or delay in payment and will turn against the program and then beg for it to be scrapped and/or privatized. The bottom line that unifies all of these cuts and firings is to undercut people's faith in the federal govt, so that it can be dramatically downsized and whatever essential services remain can be privatized and brought under presidential control.

#1 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-02-27 06:54 PM | Reply

NOAA begins firing hundreds of staffers

thehill.com

#2 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-02-27 06:56 PM | Reply

The Social Security office in my mid-sized Texas city is now entirely closed.

The TSA staff in my mid-sized regional airport are fired.

You know, MAGA...If you keep this up you may become unpopular.

#3 | Posted by Zed at 2025-02-27 06:59 PM | Reply

One of the sources told The Hill that termination letters began going out to probationary employees at 3:30 Thursday afternoon. Probationary status applies to both recent hires and workers who have been recently promoted.

So being promoted gets you fired? That's heavy logic in action.

#4 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-02-27 07:21 PM | Reply

So being promoted gets you fired? That's heavy logic in action.
#4 | Posted by REDIAL

Yes, that's the way I understand it is working in all the agencies under attack. You could have been there for 20 years, but if you got promoted in the last 6 months, you get the axe.

#5 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-02-27 07:25 PM | Reply

I also worry they are trying to cause people to panic and to crash the economy, so that the oligrachs can swoop in and pick up the shattered pieces.

#6 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-02-27 07:27 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Trump in 2007: 'I'm Excited' for Housing Market Crash

Donald Trump counseled Trump University students to take advantage of the housing bubble as an investment opportunity.

Donald Trump counseled Trump University students to take advantage of the housing bubble as an investment opportunity and said, just a year before it burst, that he was "excited" for it to end because of the money he'd make.

"People have been talking about the end of the cycle for 12 years, and I'm excited if it is,' he told the Globe and Mail in March of 2007. "I've always made more money in bad markets than in good markets."

www.nbcnews.com

#7 | Posted by Gal_Tuesday at 2025-02-27 07:29 PM | Reply

Whats with all the "COULD" and "MAYBE" articles.

Anyone have any facts?

#8 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-27 07:36 PM | Reply | Funny: 2 | Newsworthy 1

So being promoted gets you fired? That's heavy logic in action.

In MAYBE Land, othewise known as Canada

#9 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-27 07:37 PM | Reply

Trump in 2007: 'I'm Excited' for Housing Market Crash

Of course he was, so I was I, prices were unreasonable. Everyone I know bought when it tanked.

#10 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-27 07:38 PM | Reply

Yes, that's the way I understand it is working in all the agencies under attack.

I guess putting some thought into making an organisation more efficient is too inefficient. Easier to just use the smash and grab approach.

#11 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-02-27 08:07 PM | Reply

And why?

So they can borrow EVEN MORE money than they're slashing, to give ~85% of it to the world's wealthiest 1%, including OVER 60% of the cost of the tax bill TO THE WORLD'S WEALTHIEST ONE-TENTH OF ONE PERCENT.

They want to beggar the rest of us, so Elon and Peter and Mark can keep their disastrous tax cuts.

#12 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-02-27 08:45 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

And then when it implodes, that will be "evidence" for the republicans to claim it needs to go entirely.

Then the connected will get invited to a feeding frenzy as the money is sucked up by the thieves currently running our government.

#13 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-28 10:03 AM | Reply

Anyone have any facts?

#8 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT

As if they'd matter to a dumbf^%# like you anyway ...

#14 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-28 10:05 AM | Reply

Everyone I know bought when it tanked.

#10 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT

I'll take stupid f*^% claims that didn't happen for $1000.

#15 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-28 10:06 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

#15

You should have bought a few stalls at the Flying J . If you did you could be sucking up more Nickles.

#16 | Posted by fortfisher at 2025-02-28 10:22 AM | Reply

What's a "Nickles"?

#17 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-02-28 10:25 AM | Reply

STFU idiot.

#18 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-28 11:23 AM | Reply

That's why I applied immediately after the Fat Orange ---- stole the election.

I'm good. I hope all you MAGAT scum eat dog food.

#19 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-02-28 03:37 PM | Reply

"So being promoted gets you fired? That's heavy logic in action."
In MAYBE Land, othewise known as Canada
#9 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-02-27 07:37 PM

Any federal employee transitioning into any new position, up down or sideways is in a temporary "probationary employment" period.

Thus, promotion, demotion or any new position are treated similarly and immediately terminated by the Trump administration.

The more you know.

#20 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-03-01 11:46 AM | Reply

Any federal employee transitioning into any new position, up down or sideways is in a temporary "probationary employment" period.

So.

#21 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-03-02 01:54 PM | Reply

I guess putting some thought into making an organisation more efficient is too inefficient. Easier to just use the smash and grab approach.
#11 | POSTED BY REDIAL

No guessing needed, every discussion I have ever seen about cutting government spending boils down to "Don't cut Big Bird", "Your hurting the children".

This is the only alternative left.

#22 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-03-02 01:56 PM | Reply

This is my understanding of Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme.

The US Gov promised people to give SS money in the future.

The government didn't actually invest it, but spent it, also taking out other loans.
Its giving the new contributors SS money to current SS retirees, and asking the new contributors to pay off old loans
Eventually SS it will run out of money unless the US can get more new "contributors".

That isn't a ponzi scheme.

#23 | Posted by oneironaut at 2025-03-02 02:02 PM | Reply

"Eventually SS it will run out of money unless the US can get more new "contributors"."

SS is an equilibrium equation. When Reagan changed the rates, we knew there would be a surplus from that point until roughly 2010, when it would start going underwater.

At the zenith of the baby boomer's retirement, SS will only be able to pay out 70%-75% of its promises. The equation would be fixable by adding 1 point to each side (employer/employee). It's hefty, but it makes SS solvent into perpetuity, aka 75 years in actuarial terms.

After the baby boomers' retirement is over, the pressure will reduce, and the rates could be reduced as well...but, of course, won't be.

#24 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-03-02 02:31 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

"We're gonna need a bigger bridge." - The Unhoused Masses

#25 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2025-03-02 06:21 PM | Reply

"So"

So?!?

Do you believe this was done due to thoughtful, intelligent choices, or morons who didn't know the difference?

#26 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-03-02 08:47 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

The theory being, as I understand it, illegal entries are slowed to more than a 25 year low and deportations are starting in some numbers, these public sector workers who are being let go will have more opportunities available to them in the private sector. It remains to be seen if it will all work out that way.

#27 | Posted by BellRinger at 2025-03-02 11:37 PM | Reply

" these public sector workers who are being let go will have more opportunities available to them in the private sector."

That's an argument to adjust slowly, and surgically.

Now do a massive influx of unemployed, within a month or two. Then admit we haven't seen 1/10th the "savings" we need, so multiply the current chaos by 10.

What does your economics training tell you?

#28 | Posted by Danforth at 2025-03-03 12:09 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

Oh, it's easy to make Social Security "solvent" forever, and it needs to happen. "Solvent" is in quotes because the Social Security "trust fund" is a fiction, Social Security is paid with tax money, and there is no separate "fund" that the money comes from.

UNCAP THE TAX.

Do that, and you can even CUT the tax. Charge the "payroll" tax on ALL income, not just income earned by poor and middle class people.

This ties into the same myth that poor people don't pay taxes. ALL people who work in this country pay a minimum of 15.3% federal income taxes from the FIRST earned dollar.

#29 | Posted by DarkVader at 2025-03-03 09:46 AM | Reply

Oh, and people earning above $165,000 get a federal tax CUT because the 15.3% is ONLY charged to that income. Make more than that, and the rest of it is only subject to the nominal tax bracket, which means earned income over $165k is taxed at a LOWER rate than earned income under that.

It gets more complicated for married people, but the reality is that the "Social Security" tax is a PENALTY tax for being poor or middle class.

And... Unearned income isn't hit by that tax at all.

#30 | Posted by DarkVader at 2025-03-03 09:52 AM | Reply

#30

Yep. My wife and I are in the most heavily taxed prime in the country because we are dual income, both of us right at the the income threshold so we pay crazy amounts in taxes.

Those poor billionaires deserve every dollar they get to save on taxes. I just can't wait to stand here like conservatives with my mouth open waiting for them to trickle down all over me with their largesse.

#31 | Posted by Imshakinitboss at 2025-03-03 11:26 AM | Reply

Anyone have any facts?

#8 | POSTED BY ONEIRONAUT

As if they'd matter to a dumbf^%# like you anyway ...

#14 | Posted by jpw at 2025-02-28 10:05 AM | Reply | Flag:

Yet another fact filled, intelligent post by JPW. Don't worry JPW, you will still get your monthly check for your chronic brain injury. Trump is cutting the fraud not the checks. And there is no way, and I mean no way that someone can prove that you don't have the injury.

#32 | Posted by fishpaw at 2025-03-03 12:43 PM | Reply

NOAA begins firing hundreds of staffers
thehill.com

#2 | POSTED BY REINHEITSGEBOT

We don't need the weather service. Because we have the weather channel!

-sum dum maga maroon somewhere.

#33 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-03-03 01:57 PM | Reply

We don't need the weather service. Because we have the weather channel!
-sum dum maga maroon somewhere.
#33 | Posted by donnerboy

"Weather is like rape. Nothing you can do about it, so might as well lay back and enjoy it."
- President Anonymous Kitty-Grabber and Adjudicated Rapist

#34 | Posted by censored at 2025-03-03 02:01 PM | Reply