FDA authorized to hire 2,200 workers after cutting over 3,000 jobs in 2025

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been authorized to hire 2,200 employees to rebuild its workforce after cutting over 3,000 jobs in 2025 under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s restructuring. Following the resignation of Commissioner Marty Makary in May 2026, acting officials Lowell Zeta, Michael Davis, and Karim Mikhail are prioritizing recruitment and retention. The agency is utilizing flexible department transfers and regulatory shifts to manage workloads as morale begins to recover.

FDA hiring acceleration

• ▪Lowell Zeta announced at the BIO International Convention in San Diego on June 23, 2026, that approximately 600 new employees are onboarding and a couple hundred have started
• ▪The United States Food and Drug Administration has been authorized to hire 2,200 employees after cutting more than 3,000 jobs in 2025

DOGE workforce cuts

• ▪The Food and Drug Administration job cuts in 2025 were part of efforts by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reshape federal public health agencies
• ▪Former Food and Drug Administration officials warned that the 2025 job reductions could disrupt the agency's ability to review applications for new medicines

Employee retention efforts

• ▪The Food and Drug Administration is implementing actions to minimize staff attrition, including sitting down with employees considering leaving to discuss retention options
• ▪Michael Davis stated that staff attrition rates at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research have decreased to historical rates

Morale improvement strategies

• ▪The Department of Health and Human Services incentivized voluntary departures, such as early retirements, which contributed to a decline in staff morale
• ▪Michael Davis reported that staff morale at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has been improving, citing qualitative feedback and bimonthly orientation attendance

Leadership political interference

• ▪The Food and Drug Administration experienced leadership turnover and political interference in agency decisions over a year, which drove down employee morale
• ▪Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary resigned in May 2026 after weeks of clashing with top White House and health advisers

Operational workforce flexibility

• ▪The Food and Drug Administration is adopting a more flexible approach to manufacturing cell and gene therapies and has announced a plan to speed early drug development
• ▪The Food and Drug Administration is temporarily transferring staff from one department to another to manage higher workloads in understaffed divisions