Peer-reviewed article
Separation from the CDC and its consequences for the public health workforce: findings from the CDC WISE Survey.
Massetti GM, Besera G, Chiang L, Pals S ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This peer-reviewed study surveyed 430 former CDC employees about the impacts of workforce separations beginning in January 2025. The research found that most experienced involuntary job loss, with over half remaining unemployed, and reported significant financial, health, and psychological difficulties. The study highlights vulnerabilities among mid-career professionals and parents, and calls for transition support and public health workforce investment.
Key points
- Nearly 80% of respondents experienced involuntary separations from the CDC
- More than half of respondents remained unemployed at the time of survey
- Three-quarters faced financial barriers to healthcare
- Nearly 80% reported moderate or severe sleep problems
- Half experienced moderate or severe psychological distress
Limitations
This study focuses on impacts to adult CDC workforce members and does not examine consequences for children's well-being or public health service delivery to child populations. The survey captures self-reported outcomes from former employees rather than measuring actual health or development outcomes in children.
Abstract
Introduction Since January 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shed more than one-quarter of its workforce through layoffs, contract cancellations, and fellowship terminations, raising urgent questions about the consequences for affected individuals and for national public health capacity. Methods We surveyed 430 former CDC employees, contractors, and fellows to examine the economic, health, and psychological impacts of these separations. Results Among respondents representing over 7300 combined years of public health experience, nearly 80% experienced involuntary separations, and more than half remained unemployed at the time of the survey. Three-quarters faced financial barriers to health care, nearly 80% reported moderate or severe sleep problems, and half experienced moderate or severe psychological distress. Mid-career and early-career professionals and parents with 2 or more children faced the greatest vulnerabilities; retirement, reemployment, and personal financial reserves were protective. Conclusion These findings document the profound human costs of federal workforce instability and point to the need for targeted transition support, restoration of affected programs, and sustained investment in public health workforce infrastructure to prevent future disruptions.