F
ederal officials have fired the majority of employees who manage real estate and provide services to federally owned buildings in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. The layoffs, which took place on Wednesday, affected approximately 165 people across four states - Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. An additional 75 employees had previously taken voluntary retirement offers, leaving only a handful of staff members in the division.

    The Public Buildings Service division, which oversees service contracts with outside vendors, manages projects within buildings, and provides real estate management services, is now severely understaffed. Employees who were laid off expressed concern about how the agency will manage its portfolio of federal buildings, which includes over 40 properties across the four states.

    A list of non-core government properties, including 10 in Oregon, was posted online earlier this week but has since been removed from the General Services Administration's website. The agency stated that all layoffs were conducted in accordance with government policies and that it will maintain facility services through existing partners while exceeding quality standards to enable its customers to fulfill their missions.

    Long-time employees of the Public Buildings Service division described the layoffs as a "gutting" of the organization, causing harm to many people in the process. The agency's reorganization plan has raised questions about how it will manage its properties and provide services to tenant agencies.