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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
The Associated Press

Pentagon says it will cut 5,400 probationary workers starting next week

Belgium NATO US Ukraine - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The Defense Department said Friday that it’s cutting 5,400 probationary workers starting next week and will put a hiring freeze in place.

It comes after staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, were at the Pentagon earlier in the week and received lists of such employees, U.S. officials said. They said those lists did not include uniformed military personnel, who are exempt. Probationary employees are generally those on the job for less than a year and who have yet to gain civil service protection.

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