How USAID cuts are impacting the personal economy of one Oklahoma contractor
How USAID cuts are impacting the personal economy of one Oklahoma contractor
On Friday, for a second day, current and former U.S. Agency for International Development workers are being allowed into USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C. for 15 minutes to pack up their belongings. But the federal government’s layoffs are being felt across the country, not just in D.C.
Patricia Gross, 47, has worked as an independent government contractor — a gig worker — since 2018. She, her husband and three young sons live just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nonprofits hired her to write applications for federal grants — mostly from USAID and the Agriculture Department.
Now, the nonprofits are out of work, and so is Gross. So, the family is dependent on her husband’s salary.
“I think right now we’re OK, but, I mean, it’s concerning. Last year, I did really well, and we bought a house last summer based on my income increasing our family income,” she said.
Gross said she made about $75,000 last year. She has a side gig helping people write their resumes; she only made about $1,000 doing that in 2024. Now, former resume clients are back. They’re federal workers or contractors who are also out of work.
Gross says her heart breaks for them, but there’s no time to waste. “The advice I’ve been giving my clients is that people are mourning now, and if you wait a month, everybody is going to start really looking for a job, and there’s not that many jobs out there.”
Gross herself applied for a few jobs last weekend on LinkedIn, but she got messages back telling her the position has been canceled.
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