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FTC Chair Proposes 15% Staff Reduction Amid Budget Constraints

By  |  May 15, 2025

The head of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Andrew Ferguson, has announced a proposal to scale back the agency’s workforce by approximately 15%, citing the need to align staffing levels with available funding.

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    During a recent appearance before the House Appropriations Committee, Ferguson stated that the agency is working to reduce its personnel count to around 1,100 full-time employees. That figure represents a notable drop from the FTC’s staffing level at the beginning of the year. According to Bloomberg, Ferguson emphasized that the agency had previously brought on “radically” more employees than it could financially support.

    “We’re trying to get our employee levels down to a place we can actually afford given our current appropriation,” Ferguson said, highlighting the fiscal pressures facing the agency under its current budget.

    Read more: Antitrust Staff Among Those Laid Off in FTC Workforce Reduction

    The FTC plays a pivotal role in overseeing fair competition and protecting consumers, and Ferguson’s remarks come as the agency continues to grapple with major antitrust cases, including litigation targeting tech giant Amazon. Per Bloomberg, Ferguson took the helm of the FTC about five months ago, inheriting a heavy workload of active investigations and enforcement actions.

    Despite the planned staffing cuts, Ferguson indicated that a workforce of 1,100 employees would still allow the agency to function effectively under its existing financial constraints.

    The proposed reductions reflect broader concerns in Washington about agency efficiency and budgetary discipline.

    Source: Bloomberg