Affected education staff will be placed on administrative leave starting March 21, the US Department of Education said in a press release, adding that this is part of the department's "final mission," referring to Mr. Trump's plan to abolish the agency.

In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the cuts would ensure greater efficiency and accountability. “This is an important step toward restoring the greatness of America’s education system,” she said.

The union representing more than 2,800 US Department of Education employees said it would protest "draconian cuts".

Other agencies have turned to early retirement programs to fulfill the U.S. government mandate, offering one-time payments of up to $25,000 before taxes to workers who agree to leave. These include the Office of Personnel Management, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Food and Drug Administration.

The Trump administration is facing numerous lawsuits after laying off thousands of probationary employees in the first wave of massive cuts and dismantling entire departments such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States Humanitarian Assistance Administration and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

All government agencies have been ordered to draw up plans for large-scale layoffs by Thursday as part of the US administration's unprecedented campaign to overhaul the state apparatus.

The General Services Administration, which manages the U.S. government’s asset portfolio, is also seeking approval to provide workers’ compensation payments. The Securities and Exchange Commission has offered compensation of up to $50,000.

Only a few agencies have announced through the media how many employees they plan to cut in the second round of layoffs. They include the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is aiming to cut more than 80,000 employees, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is planning to cut 1,029 employees. The Food and Drug Administration emailed all 19,000 employees about the layoffs on April 19.

Hoang Hai (according to UDE, NPR, Reuters)