Over 4,000 federal workers got the axe from the Trump administration on Friday as the partial government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, as the New York Post reports.

Here’s the crux: the Trump administration revealed in a court filing that these sweeping layoffs across at least seven major agencies are tied to a funding lapse, sparking outrage and legal pushback from labor unions desperate to stop the bleeding.

Let’s rewind to the start of this mess, now in its 10th day, where a stalled funding bill in the Senate -- thanks to stonewalling by Senate Democrats -- has left the government in limbo.

Shutdown triggers job cuts

White House budget director Russ Vought didn’t mince words on X, declaring, “The RIFs have begun,” signaling that permanent job cuts are no longer just a threat but a harsh reality.

That’s right, Reduction in Force (RIF) notices are flying, with the Treasury Department slashing 1,446 jobs, Health and Human Services cutting up to 1,200, and the Department of Education axing 466.

Keep going down the list -- Housing and Urban Development shed 442, Commerce dropped 315, Energy trimmed 187, and Homeland Security let go of 176, all while other agencies dangle the threat of more cuts.

Agencies brace for additional reductions

Even smaller entities aren’t safe; the Environmental Protection Agency warned 20-30 staffers of potential layoffs, and the Patent and Trademark Office hit 126 with shutdown-related RIF notices earlier this month.

Then there’s the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under Homeland Security, planning to fire up to 2,540 employees while furloughing 65% of its workforce -- a gut punch to national security priorities if there ever was one.

Now, the Trump administration argues these notices come with a 30- or 60-day buffer before final cuts, suggesting there’s no need for panic or court intervention just yet, but tell that to the folks packing up their desks.

Labor unions fight back

Federal employee unions aren’t taking this lying down, filing suit in the Northern District of California to halt the downsizing during this funding drought, with a hearing set for next Thursday before Judge Susan Illston.

The Justice Department, however, is pushing back hard, claiming in its filing, “Plaintiffs fail to establish irreparable harm.”

They argue the supposed damage from job loss is weeks or months away -- if it even happens -- implying the unions are crying wolf while real families face real uncertainty.

Necessary or political downsizing?

Let’s be honest: while some see this as a long-overdue trim of bureaucratic fat, the timing reeks of political brinkmanship, especially with essential workers caught in the crossfire of a partisan funding spat.

Conservatives might cheer the push to shrink government, but empathy demands we acknowledge the human toll -- thousands of livelihoods upended, not to mention the ripple effects on public services already stretched thin.

So, as the shutdown grinds on, the question looms: will Congress get its act together before more RIF notices turn into pink slips, or are we witnessing the start of a leaner, meaner federal machine?