US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to undertake more large-scale layoffs of federal workers, as downsizing czar Elon Musk vowed at Trump’s first cabinet meeting to pursue deeper spending cuts.

A new administration memo instructed agencies to submit plans by March 13 for a “significant reduction” in staffing to a federal workforce already reeling from Musk’s waves of layoffs and program cuts. It did not specify numbers of desired layoffs.

The memo, signed by White House budget director Russell Vought and Office of Personnel Management acting head Charles Ezell, represents a major escalation in Trump and Musk’s campaign to slash the size of the US government.

Thus far, the layoffs have focused on probationary workers, who have less tenure in their current roles and enjoy fewer job protections. The next round would target the vastly bigger pool of veteran civil servants.