No Layoffs, Just Vanishing Jobs; What’s the VA Up To?

Look, I know this week’s been a lot.

We’ve got Supreme Court green-lighting mass federal layoffs, floods in Texas, tariffs flying around like dodgeballs, and don’t even get me started on the crime headlines.

But buried in the noise is something weirdly quiet:

The Department of Veterans Affairs is cutting 30,000 jobs… and they’re doing it without laying off a single person.

Seriously, no pink slips, no cable news meltdown. Just... poof, people slowly vanishing like they forgot to log back into Zoom.

Here’s how the trick works: The VA is pulling off the most low-drama downsizing in government history. No firings, just a hiring freeze, some early retirements, and a whole lot of we’re not replacing anyone who quits.

Back in March, VA Secretary Denis McDonough floated a much bigger cut 72,000 jobs, or 15% of the entire agency. That bomb didn’t go over well (veterans’ groups, Congress, basically everyone screamed), so they dialed it down.

Now the plan is:

• Start of 2025: 484,000 employees
• By June: 467,000, that’s 17,000 gone
• By September? They’re aiming for 30,000 total

All done without triggering a layoff headline.

So, what does this actually mean?

The VA says it’s all good; that essential services like health care and claims, are protected, that the agency is getting faster, not slower, and that performance is up. (Sure, and my dog definitely understands “sit.”)

But here’s the kicker: With the Supreme Court now opening the door to federal layoffs across the board, the VA’s stealthy approach might not stay quiet much longer. Agencies could start slashing loudly. This? This was the soft launch.

And the real question is: Can fewer people and some automation really keep things running better, especially when we’re talking about caring for vets?

The VA’s dipping its toes in workflow software and automation tools, but there’s no sign of major AI rollout yet. No chatbots doing the paperwork, no GPT-powered claims processors. Just a shrinking staff and crossed fingers.

Feels a little risky, right? Like replacing your car’s brakes with optimism.

Anyway, amidst all the chaos this week, this one flew under the radar but it might be the canary in the coal mine. Translation, "If the VA is slowly dropping 30,000 jobs and no one’s panicking... maybe other departments will try it too or worse."

What do you think? Smart, quiet belt-tightening? Or the opening act of a federal workforce mess?

I’ll be back soon, hopefully with something less existential.

Stay dry, stay sane.

- Matt