The Defense Department says it’s cutting 5,400 probationary workers starting next week and will put a hiring freeze in place.

The Pentagon said on Friday that it would fire 5,400 civilian probationary workers starting next week, in the first of what officials say will likely be a wave of much larger layoffs at the Defense Department,

The Pentagon said on Friday it would start firing about 5,400 civilian employees who were on probation, the first moves by President Donald Trump's administration at the department to make good on its promise to reduce the federal workforce.