FDA Staffing Data Reveal Historic Departures in Fiscal 2025
In fiscal year 2025, the FDA experienced unprecedented staffing cuts, with approximately 3,500 employees terminated on April 1—nearly 20% of the agency's workforce—following an earlier reduction of about 700 workers in February2113.
FDA staffing data show that the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) lost 473 employees and gained only 120 in fiscal 2025, reflecting historic net losses; the second and third fiscal quarters saw 385 departed and only 18 hires34.
Mass departures included not just reviewers but also crucial support staff across policy development, communications, IT, procurement, and project management, severely disrupting the agency's transparency infrastructure and operational capacity2.
The layoffs resulted in a marked slowdown in drug approval processes, with procedural bottlenecks and growing backlogs reported as experienced reviewers and leaders (e.g., Peter Stein, Office of New Drugs Director) left, creating leadership vacuums1.
FDA communications and data management have been impacted:
press releases, website updates, and database entries (including labeling and National Drug Code information) have suffered delays and omissions, compromising public health and regulatory transparency2.
Despite assurances, reductions in administrative and logistical support have impaired audit scheduling and inspections, affecting both pre-market approvals and post-market surveillance, thereby risking safety oversight1.
Some employees laid off in April were rehired, but overall numbers remain sharply lower; certain layoffs at the Center for Tobacco Products were paused due to an injunction, but most FDA centers saw finalized terminations by mid-July3.
A new CDER director was announced in July 2025 to succeed outgoing longtime leaders, reflecting further organizational turnover and potential shifts in regulatory strategies3.
Sources:
1. https://ospreylifesciences.com/measuring-the-impact-of-fda-personnel-cuts/
2. https://investigationsquality.com/2025/06/15/recent-troubles-at-the-fda-and-their-impact-on-transparency/
3. https://www.venable.com/insights/publications/fda-pulse/hhs-finalizes-staffing-cuts-new-cder-director
4. https://insidehealthpolicy.com/daily-news/fda-stats-show-cder-cber-staffing-sharply-fell-fy-2025
11. https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2025/4/thousands-of-fda-staff-fired-in-latest-rif