FDA Hires 350 Staff After Cutting 3,500 Positions Last Year

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired around 3,500 workers from the Food and Drug Administration last year. The department is now aiming to hire more than 3,200 people, including scientific reviewers and investigators. As of late April the FDA had hired about 350 staff.

HHS leaders have acknowledged that earning the trust of and retaining staff is a priority. A spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the FDA is actively investing in its workforce to ensure continuity of expertise and prevent the loss of critical institutional knowledge.

The FDA commissioner has discussed the hiring plan in media appearances and town halls over the past few months.

Six current and former FDA staffers described the work they left after the reductions. The employees spoke about responsibilities they did not expect to depart. Their accounts detail operations at the agency one year after the cuts.

The reductions occurred after the Trump administration described the changes as a solution to bureaucratic bloat. HHS leaders have since recognized that a reduced workforce affects the department's ability to meet its objectives. The agency continues to recruit for scientific and investigative roles.