There are about 645 probationary employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard who are anxiously awaiting news of whether their positions are among those being eliminated in a purge of the federal workforce.

A temporary hiring freeze — and the prospect of a slashed civilian workforce — are raising fears among labor leaders and the state’s congressional delegation.

Senators and union leaders say Portsmouth Naval Shipyard's thousands of workers should be exempt from Trump administration's job cuts.

About 8,000 civilians who work at the shipyard. Most of them live in Maine and New Hampshire. Whether any will lose their jobs as part of the ongoing federal workforce purge remains unclear.

The Pentagon's announcement last week that it plans to lay off 5,400 probationary employees across the country put workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on edge.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has canceled a hiring event amid uncertainty over Trump administration's executive orders and job cuts.

The Department of Defense isn't immune to those concerns, and leaders at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are appealing to the administration to spare them.

Make no mistake, our Navy and our national security will be hurt by the President's actions,” NH Sen. Maggie Hassan said.

The rescaling is part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) restructuring of federal spending.