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(CNN) 鈥� Mass firings have begun at federal agencies, with terminations of probationary employees underway at the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration, federal employees and union sources told CNN Wednesday.
The mass firings mark the first from the Trump administration as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency aims to dramatically shrink the federal workforce. Until now, federal employees across all government agencies had only been placed on paid administrative leave.
鈥淭he Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the Agency would be in the public interest,鈥� a form letter sent to Department of Education employees, obtained by CNN, informing them of their termination stated.
At the Department of Education, the firings have impacted employees across the agency from the general counsel鈥檚 office, to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services that supports programs for children with disabilities, to the Federal Student Aid office, a union source told CNN.
The source said they have heard from dozens of employees who have been fired, but the full scope of the firings was not immediately clear.
The American Federation of Government Employees represents about 160 Department of Education employees that fall under the probationary status.
Letters similar to the Department of Education鈥檚 notice of termination were sent to Small Business Administration employees on Tuesday. The full scale of the firings at the agency was unclear as of Wednesday evening.
On Friday and Monday, probationary employees across the Small Business Administration had received an unsigned draft notice of employment termination, according to internal agency emails reviewed by CNN.
Later Monday, the agency sent another email advising employees that the draft notice 鈥渨as sent in error – and as such, it is not currently in effect.鈥�
鈥淚f you are in receipt of the initial notice, your employment has not been terminated as was erroneously indicated in the initial notice,鈥� the email continued.
Notices of termination were then sent to probationary employees the next day, according to the union representing the employees.
The-CNN-Wire
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