The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is eliminating about 25,000 open and unfilled positions, “mostly COVID-era roles that are no longer necessary,” a department spokesperson confirmed to Becker’s Dec. 15.
“All of these positions are unfilled and most have not been filled for more than a year, underscoring how they are no longer needed,” the spokesperson said. “Additionally, all VA medical facilities are continuing to fill vacancies as needed.”
No current VA employees are being removed, and the changes will not affect veteran care, the spokesperson said.
According to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post, the VA could cut up to 35,000 healthcare roles in December, most of which are unfilled positions for physicians, nurses and support staff, the Post reported Dec. 13. Managers throughout the Veterans Health Administration have been instructed to identify thousands of openings to be canceled, according to the memo and staff interviews.
Regional leaders were directed to update organizational charts by this week, according to the report.
The department aims to reduce its healthcare workforce to as few as 372,000 employees — a 10% decrease from 2024 — following the loss of nearly 30,000 workers in 2025 through buyouts and attrition. VA Secretary Douglas Collins previously walked back plans to cut 15% of the department’s workforce after bipartisan concerns from lawmakers about the potential effect on patient care, the Post reported.
One VA employee told the Post that staff in the San Diego area remain strained after a difficult 2025 and were counting on staffing reinforcements. Veterans in the region are waiting two to three months for access to mental health services, the employee said.
The House approved a measure Dec. 11 to overturn an executive order that eliminated union rights at federal agencies. The legislation is not expected to pass in the Senate, according to the Post. The VA ended union contracts for most of its unionized employees in August.
