Describing the results of a survey of global development professionals on losing work due to U.S. aid cuts, a former USAID employee said: Those closest to retirement age — senior-level professionals — described struggling against ageism in the job market and being overqualified, with “essentially, decades of experience working against [them],” while one younger respondent wrote, “Us 30-somethings are in the worst spot imaginable. Senior folks had full careers and savings. New grads have time, but the middle got hit hardest.”
Date: 3/26
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Economy & Livelihoods
Policy Lens: Economic & Trade Interests
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: As reported by Devex, a former USAID employee utilized LinkedIn to conduct an informal survey of global development professionals affected by the cuts to USAID. Within 10 days, 725 global development professionals responded. Of these, 38% were former USAID direct-hire employees, 33% had worked for implementing partners and 15% were contractors. The sample was largely composed of more senior-level professionals, with 65% of those who responded having 15 or more years of experience.
This quote is attributed to Becky Band Jain, who was among the thousands of global development professionals who abruptly lost their jobs in 2025.
Devex Researcher Note: As noted in the article and by the survey creator, the data sample is largely self-selected and the quantitative findings are directional, not representative. Nonetheless, this information provides a reference point for the ongoing effects to the livelihoods of global development professionals affected by the USAID cuts.
Source: Devex