US State Department lays off over 1,300 employees

The U.S. State Department is laying off more than 1,300 employees as part of a sweeping restructuring effort introduced by the Trump administration earlier this year — a move that critics warn will undermine America’s global influence and hinder efforts to address international threats.

According to a senior State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity, layoff notices are being issued to 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service officers currently assigned to domestic roles. Foreign service officers affected by the cuts will be placed on administrative leave for 120 days, after which their employment will be formally terminated. Most civil servants, however, will face a 60-day separation period, an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press revealed, Caliber.Az cites. 

“In connection with the departmental reorganization … the department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the memo stated. “Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation of functions and responsibilities.”

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have praised the reorganization as a necessary overhaul to make the department leaner and more efficient. However, the decision has sparked concern among current and former diplomats, who argue the downsizing will weaken the U.S. diplomatic corps at a critical moment for foreign policy.

Rubio defended the plan on July 10 while speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he is attending the ASEAN Regional Forum.

“It’s not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions,” he said. “Understand that some of these are positions that are being eliminated, not people.”

He added that some of the reductions will involve already vacant or soon-to-be-vacant roles, including those where employees have opted for early retirement.

The American Academy of Diplomacy, a group composed of former senior diplomats, sharply criticized the move, saying the layoffs “will seriously undermine the ability of our government to understand, explain, and respond to a complex and increasingly contested world.”

In May, the department formally notified Congress of a revised reorganization plan that included even deeper cuts than previously announced — slashing up to 18% of domestic staff, surpassing the 15% reduction floated in April. The proposed changes also target a broader range of programs across the department.