Life After the Federal Job: Stories of Struggle and Resilience

Federal jobs were once seen as stable and rewarding, but under Trump's administration, things changed drastically. Many workers faced layoffs, buyouts, and a chaotic work environment. By the end of 2025, around 317, 000 federal employees will have left their jobs, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Liz Goggin, a former clinical social worker at the Veterans Health Administration, is one of those who left. She had worked there for a decade, helping veterans with therapy and connecting them to services. But when she was rejected for a buyout offer twice, she decided to quit. She now works as a private therapist and runs a support group, but she still misses her old job. Mahri Stainnak, who worked in the Office of Personnel Management's DEI office, was fired shortly after Trump's return to the White House. They were part of a group that introduced people from different backgrounds to careers in the federal workforce. Stainnak is now struggling to find full-time work and is part of a class-action lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration illegally discriminated against federal employees who worked in DEI roles.Keri Murphy, who worked at the Commerce Department, was also let go. She had just received an award for outstanding performance when she was swept up in the Trump administration's chaotic purge of probationary employees. She is now working a new job, but the pay is about half of what she was making in the government, and there are no benefits. Max Stier, the founding president of the Partnership for Public Service, warns that Trump's actions are turning back the clock to the 1800s, when the government served the private interests of those in power, not the public good. He says that by getting rid of institutions and people he doesn't care for, Trump is "burning the whole house down. " The Trump administration, however, insists that they are improving the lives of the American people and making the government more efficient. They point to Trump's plans to overhaul the nation's air traffic control system and a sharp decrease in the number of veterans awaiting benefits, among other achievements.