By Daniel HayesMore than a year after sweeping federal workforce reductions eliminated roughly 30 percent of its staff, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is rebuilding its ranks far more slowly than other health agencies. A new personnel analysis shows the public health agency has replaced just one worker for every six employees lost.
Data compiled from the Office of Personnel Management and USAJOBS by the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2883 reveals that the CDC posted 147 job openings between January 2 and September 10, 2026. From January through July, the agency completed only 95 new hires, representing 16.5 percent of the staff lost during earlier government efficiency cuts.
By comparison, sister agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services have replenished their workforces at much higher rates this year. Over the same period, the National Institutes of Health replaced 34 percent of its departed personnel, the Food and Drug Administration hired back 39 percent, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services grew by 131.7 percent.
Staffing Shortages Leave Funded Health Programs Idle
Union analysts identified approximately 50 congressionally funded initiatives across the CDC that currently operate with minimal or no full-time scientific staff. These idle initiatives span chronic disease tracking, traumatic brain injury prevention, oral health, maternal health monitoring, and tobacco control.
For example, the Office on Smoking and Health holds a $246 million congressional budget, yet its full-time specialists remain on paid administrative leave while litigation over the workforce cuts continues. Other disrupted initiatives include a $41 million Alzheimer’s surveillance program, an $11 million epilepsy management effort, and the $113.5 million Safe Motherhood initiative.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, chief executive of the American Public Health Association, warned that operating public health surveillance on a patchwork basis erodes national readiness. Federal workforce debates covered in Politics highlight the tension between executive branch downsizing and congressionally mandated health programs.
Medical Groups Warn of Gaps in Sickle Cell Tracking
Physicians and patient advocates expressed particular concern over disruptions to a $6 million CDC sickle cell data collection program that tracks treatment gaps across 16 states. In a September letter to CDC Director Erica Schwartz, the American Society of Hematology warned that pauses in federal data collection threaten care for underserved patients.
Dr. Tabatha McGee, CEO of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, noted that state clinics rely on CDC surveillance data to deploy mobile hematology teams to rural communities. Without accurate population mapping, specialists struggle to locate patients who face severe pain crises and vision loss from the genetic blood disorder.
Health Department Defends Strategic Workforce Alignment
Spokespersons for the Department of Health and Human Services stated that the CDC continues to fulfill its core public health mission while aligning hiring with strategic priorities. Department officials pointed to recent FDA gene therapy approvals for children as young as two and expanded CMS coverage as evidence of federal support for sickle cell patients.
Still, former CDC division directors and public health advocates argue that replacing career epidemiologists with temporary contractors weakens long-term disease surveillance. Congressional appropriations subcommittees are expected to examine the agency’s staffing ratios during upcoming oversight hearings.
Public health deans warn that prolonged vacancies at the Atlanta headquarters also slow down technical guidance and laboratory support for state and county health departments managing seasonal outbreaks.
Union representatives with AFGE Local 2883 stated they will continue publishing monthly tracking reports comparing job postings against actual onboarding numbers across all federal health divisions.
