The Department of Energy employs approximately 14,000 workers and oversees 95,000 contractors across energy and security sectors.

Summary

The Trump administration initially laid off 1,200–2,000 Department of Energy employees, including 325 from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

Some of these firings were later reversed amid security concerns.

The layoffs, linked to Elon Musk’s DOGE, sparked criticism from Democrats and mixed reactions from Republicans.

It remains unclear how many employees were reinstated.

The administration has not formally addressed the controversy, and DOGE’s role in the decision is still uncertain.