A Year After U.S.A.I.D.’s Death, Fired Workers Find Few Jobs and Much Loss

Why It Matters

The dismantling of USAID eradicates a major pillar of U.S. foreign aid and displaces a skilled workforce, tightening the talent pool for global development projects and potentially weakening America’s diplomatic and humanitarian influence.

Summary

A year after the Trump administration shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, former staff and contractors are struggling to find work, with less than half securing full‑time employment. Many have depleted savings, tapped retirement accounts, and rely on food stamps, Medicaid and mortgage forbearance, as exemplified by Amy Uccello, a former senior employee earning $175,000, who now faces unemployment and housing uncertainty. The agency’s closure eliminated roughly 16,000 federal jobs and an estimated 280,000 contractor and partner positions worldwide, creating a sudden, large‑scale loss of talent in the international development sector.