April 23, 2026
OneAid, an organization of former USAID workers who felt the greatest impact of the DOGE cuts, estimates that 50% of its membership remains unemployed.
Former federal workers are struggling to find work a year after the now-dismantled Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut over 300,000 federal jobs.
WellFed, an organization that supports former federal workers, told NBC News that only 25% of its members have found new jobs. Meanwhile, OneAid, an organization of former USAID workers who felt the greatest impact of the DOGE Cuts, estimates that 50% of its membership remains unemployed.
“Laid-off workers are now moving into a category that is long-term unemployment. The unemployment checks have stopped. They’re having trouble with health care,” WellFed co-founder and program director Rebecca Ferguson-Ondrey said.
WellFed was founded in early 2025, when two former Department of Health and Human Services employees were abruptly laid off by the Administration for Children and Families. Ferguson-Ondrey was one of the employees. What began as a small mutual-aide circle has since grown into a nationwide resource hub for federal employees and contractors facing layoffs, furloughs, or career uncertainty.
According to 7News, WellFed has served more than 3,000 laid-off federal workers nationwide. In Washington, D.C., the organization regularly hosts “fired, tired, or furloughed” events for those who need career guidance, community support, and even a hot meal.
“It’s not just one thing that people need when they’re in a career transition and an unexpected career transition,” Ferguson-Ondrey told 7News. “It’s a whole constellation of support, and so not only do we provide that résumé support, but we also have had an interview prep session. We’ve brought in recruiters.”
How Former Federal Workers Are Finding Work After Doge Cuts
Former federal employees have been trying to cope with uncertainty and the trauma of losing their livelihoods, and, for many, their life’s work. Other federal alumni have come together in new and creative ways to support their former colleagues.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Alumni Network is one of the more recently launched federal alumni groups founded to create a community for former employees. The group has nearly 900 members and operates as an independent nonprofit.
Each week, the DOE Alumni Network publishes a newsletter to share job postings and leads, organizes resume drafting, and offers other career support programming. It also hosts networking events nationwide.
“A significant portion of our community is still looking for jobs…and so the major objectives of the mentorship program will be helping each other navigate career transitions,” Executive Director Jocelyn Brown-Saracino told HR Brew “It has been incredibly uplifting to see people’s willingness to lend their time and their expertise to support each other right now.”
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