Loss of Federal Positions Especially Hurts Arkansas Veterans

There has been much attention to the Trump Administration’s efforts, especially through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to lay off large number of federal employees. While it is easy to discount this as a District of Columbia (DC) issue, in fact the vast majority of federal employees — 98.4% — live in the 50 states across our country. And like citizens everywhere, Arkansans are deeply affected by the layoffs of thousands of federal workers. 

In Arkansas, federal employees provide many of the services we all depend upon. The people working for the U.S. government defend our country and keep us safe, they staff our national parks and forests, they support our farmers, and they enforce our laws. Some of the federal civilian workers in Arkansas as of September 2024: 

• All military, including the Departments of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force: 3,310 employees 
• Department of Agriculture (including National Forests): 1,696 employees 
• Department of Health and Human Services: 498 employees 
• Department of the Interior (including National Parks and Monuments): 328 employees 
• Department of Justice: 307 employees 
• Department of Transportation: 193 employees 
• Department of Commerce: 140 employees 
• Department of Treasury: 95 employees 
• Department of Homeland Security: 87 employees 
• Department of Energy: 61 employees 
• Department of Labor: 45 employees 
• Department of Housing and Urban Development: 35 employees 
• Department of State: 23 employees 

All told, including the U.S. Postal Service, more than 20,000 Arkansans work for the federal government and us. These federal employees and their families are our neighbors who live, work, and send their children to schools across the state, making the impact of these firings felt in all Arkansas communities. 

By far the largest federal employer in Arkansas is the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), as it employs 6,823 Arkansans. And indeed, it is Arkansas veterans who have the most to lose by the DOGE firings happening in our state. 

First, the VA, an institution traditionally supported by Republicans and Democrats alike, has the important mission of serving those who have served us. Its history dates back 160 years to President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who served in the military. The VA provides the 176,468 veterans who call Arkansas home with health care, benefits, and cemetery services. The massive layoffs at the VA seriously jeopardize this important mission. While some argue that Veteran Affairs is currently understaffed, the Trump administration has already terminated 2,400 employees at the VA, implemented hiring freezes, and plans to eliminate another 70,000 positions. The termination of 15% of the VA workforce will lead to fewer services and longer wait times for our veterans. Recently, over 500 veterans and others protested VA workforce cuts in front of the historic Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. 

Second, 30% of the federal civilian workforce consists of veterans. These veterans provide important expertise, experience, and leadership across all federal agencies. The firings are hitting veterans especially hard. And once this veteran expertise is lost from federal agencies, it will be hard to build back. 

Third, veterans fired by DOGE are facing an increasingly difficult labor market. According to a recent survey from Duke University and the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond and Atlanta, 25% of U.S. businesses have scaled back their hiring plans because of the uncertainty of tariffs and the growing trade war. According to the most recent data, unemployment in Arkansas was up 6% compared to a year ago. 

Finally, the sweeping layoffs will leave Arkansas and other states with increased administrative demands to process unemployment claims, increased demands for social services, and decreased tax revenues. Arkansas will struggle to meet the needs of veterans and other citizens at a time when the state government has implemented a series of income tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, leaving the state with a tight biennial budget. Arkansas simply does not have the personnel or funds to manage these increased demands. 

Efficiency in federal government agencies is a worthwhile goal. But indiscriminate, nonstrategic, mass firings of federal employees only lead to chaos and inefficiency. And leave Arkansans — especially veterans — without important services and support. 

Federal Employees and Veterans by Congressional District

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. “Veteran Status.” American Community Survey, ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S2101, 2023 

Federal Workforce Count, Economic Policy Institute 

Federal Employment, Fedscope, Office of Personnel Management