Thousands of former federal employees are now looking for work due to job cuts carried out by President Donald Trump’s administration during the first few months of this year. The layoffs were directed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk.

DOGE targeted consulting firms among its next spending cuts, and the moves seem likely to spur another outflow of employees with federal sector experience looking for new work.

How DOGE cuts could affect the consulting workforce. In February, the acting administrator of the General Services Administration called on federal agencies to cut “non-essential consulting contracts” with the top-10 highest-paid firms, including Deloitte, Accenture, IBM, and Booz Allen Hamilton. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon was cutting over $5 billion worth of contracts with multiple consulting companies, including “Accenture, Deloitte, Booz Allen, and other firms that can be performed by our civilian workforce.”

For more on the many implications of these federal-sector layoffs, keep reading here.—CV

Is your workforce burned out?

Some 36% of US workers are burned out, and 33% feel more burned out now than they did this time last year, according to a recent report from staffing firm Robert Half. And employee burnout can be pretty costly: Burned out individual contributors can cost US companies an average $3,999 per hourly worker and $4,257 per salaried worker, a recent American Journal of Preventive Medicine study found. These costs jump to $10,824 per manager and $20,683 per executive.

“What hurts companies more than anything, it’s managerial burnout,” said John R. Miles, CEO and founder of leadership firm Passion Struck. “When a manager doesn’t feel like they matter, the entire team feels it. If you have a disengaged manager, you’re likely going to have a disengaged team.”

For more on what’s causing leadership burnout and what HR can do about it, keep reading here.—MC

CHROs in the US are trying to outline their priorities for the rest of the year, all while navigating a tumultuous workplace and uncertain economy. And when it comes to DEI, one leader recommends employers cast a wider net for who falls under the programming.

More than 200 CHROs outlined their 2025 priorities in a recent SHRM survey. The majority (51%) cited leadership and manager development as their top priority, followed by organization design and change management, and employee experience. Their priorities have shifted since 2024, when these leaders said they were more focused on engaging employees, retaining top talent, and recruiting workers with “necessary skills.”

Just 2% of CHROs cited inclusion and diversity among their top three priorities; 55% of CHROs think more companies will reduce or eliminate DEI initiatives in 2025.

For more on the recent SHRM survey and what it means for diversity and inclusion, keep reading here.—KP