6 Workers in Maine Laid Off as Part of Trump Administration Plan

A handful of workers in Maine were fired this week, with labor leaders claiming the decision came directly from the Department of the Navy.

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Layoffs are becoming more and more common in 2025, whether it’s companies downsizing or, like in this case, government organizations making the call. Unfortunately, it’s a tough reality for many workers facing uncertainty about their future.

According to local labor leaders, six civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard were laid off on Tuesday (March 11th, 2025).

The employees, who handled secretarial duties for department heads, were let go by the Department of the Navy, not shipyard management. WMTW reports that it has not been able to confirm the layoffs with shipyard officials or whether more job cuts are expected.

The layoffs come as the shipyard remains under a hiring freeze, which began two weeks ago to help prioritize resources amid federal budget reductions.

The union president representing the affected workers criticized the decision, arguing that the cuts were made without consideration for the shipyard’s mission.

The recent government layoffs come after the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency, which was established by an executive order from President Donald Trump.

According to the White House, the department's mission is to modernize federal technology and software as part of the President's DOGE Agenda to improve efficiency. As a result, many government departments have seen layoffs as part of this effort to streamline operations.

And there you have it—six workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery were laid off on Tuesday due to efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency.

What are your thoughts on these layoffs? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.

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