Top weather, climate agency NOAA the latest layoff target
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The Commerce Department has laid off hundreds of NOAA employees, many with specialized skills who work at one of the world's top climate science and weather forecasting agencies.
Why it matters: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is responsible for providing weather watches and warnings, monitoring and studying Earth's climate, as well as operating weather satellites and protecting marine life.
- The layoffs of probationary employees that began Thursday hit soon after cuts at the behest of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency occurred at other climate and environment agencies.
The big picture: NOAA's missions require staff to work around the clock to monitor dangerous weather, earthquakes that could cause tsunamis, and other hazards.
- In recent weeks, NOAA's National Weather Service has issued warnings for deadly flooding in Kentucky, heavy snow, frigid temperatures and other hazards across the country.
- While NOAA had pushed for public safety exemptions from the layoffs for NWS meteorologists, not all were granted. A congressional aide reported hearing that "some" at NWS were spared but "not many."
The layoffs follow moves at other agencies across the government and are hitting employees with less than two years of service.
- Others who were promoted recently or transferred agencies can also be considered to be on probationary status.
- Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told Axios about the layoffs.
- The cuts hit workers at NOAA headquarters, NOAA's satellites division, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J., parts of the NWS, the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, as well as divisions on the oceans side of the agency.
- Probationary employees and some supervisors in the Office of Space Commerce were let go too.
What they're saying: Lawmakers have denounced moves to lay off workers at NOAA and other Commerce agencies.
- Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said the move threatens safety and the economy. "This action is a direct hit to our economy, because NOAA's specialized workforce provides products and services that support more than a third of the nation's GDP," she said in a statement.
- Cantwell is the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees NOAA.
- Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said in a statement Thursday, "People nationwide depend on NOAA for free, accurate forecasts, severe weather alerts, and emergency information."
Even before the layoffs, the NWS in particular was short-staffed. It isn't yet clear precisely how many forecasters and supervisors have been impacted by the cuts.
The agency had used funding from the infrastructure law and Biden climate law to bolster staffing and add more computing power to improve its weather forecast models.
- In the days leading up to the NOAA cuts, weather broadcasters and other meteorologists spoke out in favor of the agency on social media, noting its crucial role in providing accurate weather data and warnings.
Zoom out: The NOAA layoffs come amid thousands of layoffs at other climate-related agencies, including the EPA, Energy Department, Department of Agriculture and the Interior Department.
- The Interior Department layoffs include significant cuts to the National Parks Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- The environmental group Center for Biological Diversity put the cuts at Interior as 4% of the overall department.
The intrigue: The layoffs of probationary employees with less than one to two years of service is depriving the agency of some younger employees just as older individuals have taken the government's "Fork in the Road" buyout offer.
- The downsizing is in line with similar moves across the government.
What's next: Federal agencies, including NOAA, are expected to undergo significant further cuts in the coming months as the Trump administration moves swiftly to reduce the size of the federal government.
- The entity leading the charge on this front has been billionaire Musk's DOGE, which visited NOAA's offices and gained access to some of its IT systems.
- NOAA has reportedly been asked to prepare for shaving off up to one-third of its budget, which could disrupt core functions such as weather forecasting, climate data gathering and research.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional reporting on where specific cutbacks occurred at NOAA and with comments from Rep. Jared Huffman.
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