CDC Leaders Told to Rank Thousands of Workers Amid Layoff Fears

Senior leaders at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been told to rank thousands of probationary employees based on how essential they are to operations as fears of mass layoffs ripple through the federal government.

About 2,800 probationary and full-time equivalent employees are potentially at risk, according to a person familiar who asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.

CDC leaders have been told that only 10% of those employees can be considered “critical,” the person said, while another 50% can be deemed as supporting important agency priorities. The remaining 40% must be left undesignated. Many ...