The Probationary Project: Career and Personal Impacts on Employees

Read Pt 4 of the Probationary Project survey results

Jun 23, 2026

In May 2026, probationary employees from across the government released the results of a survey looking at the impacts of the probationary firings in February 2025 on respondents and the American public. 27 UNIHTED is hosting the results on their website, and their Substacks break down and analyze the various categories from the survey. To read all the results, please go to the Probationary Project homepage. You can also interact with the data in a dashboard on the Tableau page, and catch up on the other breakdowns on 27 UNIHTED Substack. Thank you!

Impacts:

The human cost behind the numbers reported by fired federal probationary employees in the survey is profound. These were not workers who could easily pivot to comparable private sector roles. Many had spent their entire careers developing highly specialized expertise in fields like marine science, public health research, environmental law, or national security — skills that have limited direct equivalents outside of government.

Many respondents worked as government contractors for a significant amount of time before starting their role as federal employees (refer to our graphs on the “Impacts to the American Public” page). For them, this firing was not a setback. This shattered their career trajectory.

Job Search and Employment Status

Unemployment was not a brief transition for most respondents. While some found work within the first month or two, large numbers remained out of work for four, five, six months, or longer. Those who were still unemployed at the time of the survey, nearly a full year after being unlawfully fired, comprised the largest single group in the dataset.

Bar chart showing the number of months respondents were unemployed. 50 were still unemployed, 16 were unemployed for 11 months, 9 for 10 months, 12 for 9 months, and similar numbers for 5, 6, and 7 months. 39 were unemployed for 2 months.

Bar chart showing the number of job applications respondents submitted. The most submitted more than 100 (82 respondents). The next largest group, 44 respondents, submitted only 1 to 5 applications.

Bar chart showing the number of job interviews respondents had. 21 had none, 46 had 1 interview, 42 had 2, 51 had 3, and varying amounts. 31 received 9 or more interviews.

The job search data tells a story of exhaustion and repeated rejection. The largest group of fired federal workers reported submitting more than 100 job applications in their search for new work, with many submitting far more. Despite these efforts, interviews were hard to come by, with most workers reporting only a handful of them.

Respondents found job offers even scarcer, with the majority receiving just one, and a high number receiving none at all.

Pie chart showing the number of job offers respondents received. The largest category, 42%, got 1 offer. The next largest group, 29%, got no offers, followed by 19% getting 2 offers and 8% getting 3 offers.

For those who did find new employment, the financial toll was severe. Forty-nine percent saw their salary drop significantly, and an additional 19% took a pay cut. In total, nearly 68% of those who found work are now earning less than they did in their federal roles. Only a small fraction landed positions at the same or higher pay.

Pie chart showing their current salary compared to their federal salary. The largest group, 49%, have a significantly lower salary. 19% with lower, 12% with the same, 14% with higher. 5% with significantly higher.

Career Interruptions

The data demonstrates the difficulty respondents experienced re-entering the private sector workforce after federal employment. Most commonly, hundreds of respondents reported missed professional development opportunities as a career impact. Nearly as many reported a significantly altered career path, followed by limited work options outside of the federal workforce and/or an outright inability to progress in their careers. A significant number also reported the decision not to pursue federal work again, either in the short or long term, illustrating damage to the federal workforce that will persist for years.

Bar chart showing the negative career impacts felt by respondents after being terminated. The most common was missed professional development opportunities, followed by a significantly altered career path and limited options outside federal work.

Reinstated Respondents

Obstacles did not end for workers who were reinstated following court orders. One hundred forty-eight individual respondents reported being unable to obtain appropriate documentation of their termination, meaning they did not receive the paperwork needed to access interim unemployment or insurance, etc. Eighty-nine respondents could not obtain documentation of their termination or reinstatement despite court orders. Thirty-two people were denied a new role within the federal government entirely. Reinstated respondents reported restricted performance ratings and withheld backpay. Some workers placed back on administrative leave were blocked from returning to work.

Only about 11% of survey respondents who found new employment returned to a role within the federal government. This further demonstrates that the loss of fired probationary workers contributes to a profound and lasting loss of public service talent from which the government may never recover.

Bar chart showing the work sectors for those who found new jobs. The most common is in industry with the U.S with over 70 respondents. 34 returned to work in the federal government, 33 now work in academia.

Mental Health Impact

The unlawful termination of federal probationary employees did not just disrupt careers. For hundreds of respondents, these actions triggered mental health concerns. In the six months following their firing, respondents reported overwhelming rates of depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms.

The impact on respondents’ daily life was nearly universal. Ninety-five percent of respondents reported that new mental health symptoms affected their personal wellbeing, and 25% started new medication to manage conditions that resulted from their termination.

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Pie chart showing the percentage of respondents who reported mental health symptoms impacted personal wellbeing. 95% said that they experienced new mental health symptoms negatively affecting their well-being after the firings..

Bar chart showing the impacts to their personal life post-termination. The most common was personal distress, followed by loss in governmental authority, loss of income, and postponing significant life events

Material and intangible personal impacts resulted from these unlawful firings. Nearly every survey respondent reported personal distress as a result of the termination. Most respondents also lost trust in governmental authority, as well as lost their income.

Bar chart showing symptoms of depression in the first 6 months following termination. The most common was feeling down, depressed or hopeless, followed by trouble sleeping or sleeping too much and feeling bad about themself

Respondents reported equally widespread depression symptoms. Close to 300 respondents indicated “feeling down, depressed, or hopeless,” making it the most commonly reported symptom across the survey. This population also recorded increased symptoms of anxiety.

Bar chart showing the symptoms of anxiety respondents reported in the first 6 months after termination. The most common was feeling nervous, anxious or on edge, trouble relaxing, worrying too much about different things and being unable to stop worry

Respondents reporting trauma symptoms told an alarming story. The most reported trauma symptom included feeling upset by reminders of the event”, followed closely by “difficulty sleeping” and “intrusive memories.” These are potential symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and the data shows many respondents experienced these.

Pie chart showing resolution of mental health symptoms in the last 6 months. 4.7% were fully resolved, 42% partially resolved, 28% were reduced, 13% about the same and 12% were not reduced at all

When asked whether their mental health symptoms cleared up, very few respondents reported full resolution. The largest group said their symptoms had only “partially resolved,” with significant numbers reporting their symptoms were either “reduced,” “about the same,” or “not reduced at all.” This data indicates that many respondents still feel the damage done by these firings.

Pie chart showing the percentage of respondents who started a new medication to manage their mental health symptoms. 25% had started a new medication.

A number of respondents also reported starting a new medication to deal with their new mental health symptoms over the past year.

Economic Impacts

Unfortunately for respondents, many also faced economic challenges. After being fired, 71% filed for unemployment benefits, and of those that applied for unemployment, 22% were denied unemployment by their state.

Thirteen percent of survey respondents took out a loan and 15% withdrew from their retirement savings.

Pie chart showing the percentage of respondents who took out a loan post termination. 60% did not. 22% considered it but found another option. 13% took out a loan. 3.9% were unable to take out a loan.

Pie chart showing percentage of respondents who had to move to save on costs post-termination. 23% of respondents did move. 49% did not. 28% of respondents considered it but found another option.

Pie chart showing the percentage of respondents who withdrew from a retirement account. 57% did not. 24% considered it but found another option. 15% did. 3.9% were unable to withdraw.

About 27% of respondents moved for their federal job prior to their termination. The survey asked if anyone had to move after their termination to save on costs. About 22% responded they had moved in with parents or friends, found roommates, found less expensive housing, or moved closer to family or other support systems.

Another 28% considered moving but found a way to stay in their home, while 49% did not have to consider moving.

Pie chart showing the percentage of respondents who applied for unemployment. 71% applied. 29% did not apply.

Conclusions

For many fired federal probationary employees who responded to this survey, the job search has been long and difficult, and has failed to provide financial stability in the same way as their federal role. Many felt negative impacts to their career trajectory, and have decided to pursue work outside the field where they worked as federal employees. Many reinstated employees do not feel safe in their jobs, and have not received required information about their reinstatement terms (such as written documentation of their reinstatement).

These graphs demonstrate emotional and financial impacts by the unlawful firings. Respondents reported symptoms of depression, trauma, and anxiety, as well as feeling a lack of resolution. Some required a new medication to deal with health symptoms resulting from their experiences. Some had to take out loans and or borrow from their retirement funds.

All of this points to losses in the federal workforce and potential broad impacts to local economies through sustained unemployment. Job losses increased nationally over the last year, and losses to a qualified federal workforce puts further strain on this difficult job market. These unlawful firings have not only affected the probationary employees; they have impacted their families, communities, and the future of the federal workforce.

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