The Pentagon seeks to cut more than 5,000 civilian employees on probation status beginning next week in a bid to eventually shave off up to 8 percent of the U.S. military’s civilian workforce, the building’s top personnel official said Friday.

The firings, part of the Trump administration’s bid to gut the federal workforce, is expected to initially affect approximately 5,400 probationary workers, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick said in a statement

“We anticipate reducing the Department’s civilian workforce by 5-8% to produce efficiencies and refocus the Department on the President’s priorities and restoring readiness in the force,” Selnick said. “We expect........

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