FEMA is getting rid of thousands of workers in areas recovering from disasters

Ellaird Bailey and his wife, Charlotte, who lost their home in Altadena, Calif., to a wildfire in early 2025, stand in front of their recreational vehicle in December 2025. The RV is parked on the property where their house once stood. It can take years for disaster survivors to recover, often with the help of local Federal Emergency Management Agency workers.

Thousands of employees whose contracts end this year will lose their jobs, FEMA managers said at personnel meetings this week. The cuts could hobble the nation's disaster agency.

(Image credit: Jae C. Hong)