As many Montgomery County residents face or deal with the loss of their federal jobs, county and state officials are offering webinar programs and other resources to help the newly unemployed respond and adapt.
The layoffs and firings of thousands of federal workers in recent weeks were ordered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as part of President Donald Trump’s promise to cut the country’s federal workforce. According to ABC News, more than 200,000 federal workers across the country have been laid off since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
The impacts hit close to home for many county residents. More than 1,000 county residents have lost their federal jobs recently, according to County Executive Marc Elrich (D).
Approximately 70,000 county residents are part of the federal workforce, according to Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart’s (D-Dist. 4) office. That number does not include federal workers who reside in neighboring jurisdictions but work at agencies based in the county, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in White Oak or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring.
For those looking for help, the state has created a webpage with resources for federal workers facing layoffs, including information about unemployment insurance and job search support.
Here is a list of local webinars, events and town halls available to federal workers and their families:
The Montgomery County Council’s United in Service and Support Online Informational Series
This webinar series hosted by the Montgomery County Council started Tuesday and will be offered biweekly “for the foreseeable future,” according to the council website.
Led by council President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) in partnership with other elected officials and county government employees, the webinar series addresses questions from federal workers and their families and provides up-to-date information on local resources.
Questions can be submitted confidentially through a web form in advance or during the webinar using the Zoom Q&A feature.
A recording from the first webinar is available here. The next webinar, focused on mental health resources, will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 6. A full schedule of upcoming webinars can be viewed here.
Unemployment Insurance Webinar hosted by state Del. Lorig Charkoudian;
7-8:30 p.m. Thursday
State Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Dist. 20), who represents Silver Spring in the Maryland General Assembly, is hosting a webinar Thursday to help guide Maryland federal workers who lost their jobs through the unemployment insurance registration process. Speakers will include staff members from the Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland Legal Aid and CASH Campaign. Register here.
Federal Employee Survival Guide Webinars hosted by the Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships and the Foundation for Financial Education
4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday
The Montgomery County Office of Community Partnerships and the Foundation for Financial Education are co-hosting two Federal Employee Survival Guide webinars to address career transitions, leadership changes and mental health support for federal workers. Both sessions will offer the same content but are hosted at two different times to accommodate varying schedules. Register for Thursday’s webinar here or for Friday’s webinar here.
WorkSource Montgomery Job Fair
11 a.m.-1 p.m. March 26
WorkSource Montgomery will be hosting a job fair at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Gaithersburg at 620 Perry Parkway. Those interested in attending must register for a free ticket in advance. Free parking will be available.
Did we miss something? Please email Bethesda Today senior reporter Ginny Bixby at ginny.bixby@bethesdamagazine.com with information about any other events or resources for federal employees.
