The federal government's current labor force is a bit smaller now than it was at the start of the year. Throughout 2025 so far, more than 50,000 workers have been targeted for layoffs from federal agencies.

Among them is Joya Patel. Up until February, Patel was Director of Communications and External Affairs for an office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Although she eventually wants to return to being a civil servant, the job market is tough.

“In the area that I live in, with the number of layoffs, we're mostly government employees or contractors,” Patel said. “So that means that there's just a lot of very talented people roaming around right now.”

In light of that, she started Joy Forward Consulting, but things still aren’t perfectly stable.

“I've continued to remain flexible and adaptable in every way to make sure that I could provide for my family,” said Patel.

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