John Burg Applied to 599 Jobs After DOGE Layoffs, Thousands Still Unemployed
John Burg applied to 599 jobs before he stopped counting, one year after Trump's DOGE program laid off thousands of federal workers. Many former government employees are still looking for work a year later.
A year after President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program cut federal jobs, thousands of former government workers are still unemployed. John Burg's story shows the human cost: he applied to 599 positions before giving up on counting his rejections.
The DOGE program eliminated entire agencies and departments to reduce government spending. While some high-ranking DOGE officials landed permanent jobs at agencies like the Treasury Department, regular workers faced a much harder path.
Some former federal employees are getting help through new programs. The Civic Match platform helps ex-government workers find jobs at state and local levels. The Work for America team grew from 2 people to 15 in the past year, mostly hiring former federal workers.
Meanwhile, current government employees are forming support groups to help each other decide whether to stay in their jobs under the Trump administration. Many are unsure about their job security as more changes could be coming.
These job cuts affected thousands of families who lost steady government paychecks. The struggle to find new work shows how major government changes can impact regular workers for months or years.
More federal job cuts could be announced as the Trump administration continues DOGE policies.
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