About one-third of the staff in the U.S. Commerce Department office overseeing $39 billion of manufacturing subsidies for chipmakers was laid off this week, two sources familiar with the situation said.
The Commerce Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Reuters reported last month that the new Trump administration, which has embarked on a dramatic overhaul of the federal government, is reviewing the projects awarded under the 2022 U.S. CHIPS Act. That law is meant to boost U.S. domestic semiconductor output with grants and loans to companies across the chip industry.
About 40 staff members lost their jobs on Monday, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The staffers, who had probationary status, received emails at about 2 p.m. EST on Monday that they were terminated and they were out the door by 4 p.m., one of the people said.
The same day, Taiwan semiconductor company TSMC announced plans to make a fresh $100 billion investment in the United States that involves building five additional chip facilities in coming years.
Some 20 other staffers departed last week as part of the government’s deferred resignation program, the person said.
The chief investment officer of the office, Todd Fisher, resigned last week, according to an email seen by Reuters. A source familiar with the situation said his resignation was planned in recent months.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld, David Shepardson and Alexandra Alper; Editing by Paul Simao)
