U.S. State Department Terminates Over 1,300 Workers
(MENAFN) The U.S. State Department initiated the termination of over 1,300 employees on Friday as part of a large-scale reorganization under the Trump administration, according to multiple media reports.
Media reported, citing an internal notice, that the layoffs include 1,107 civil service staff and 246 foreign service officers, with notifications sent via email.
For foreign service officers receiving “Reduction in Force” (RIF) notices, they will be placed on 120 days of administrative leave. Civil service workers will be given 60 days before their departure, as outlined in the notice.
The total number of departures—factoring in voluntary exits—is expected to reach nearly 3,000, according to media.
A news agency obtained internal messages revealing that U.S.-based employees were set to begin receiving termination notices as early as Friday morning.
Officials quoted by the news agency noted that over half of these exits would come from voluntary departures, including those who took up the administration’s “deferred resignation” offer.
This restructuring plan, introduced in May by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is expected to reduce the department’s domestic workforce by approximately 15%.
Critics, however, caution that the cuts could jeopardize U.S. diplomatic efforts, particularly amid ongoing global crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. They also argue that the reductions disproportionately target offices focused on human rights, democracy, refugees, and war crimes.
In response to the layoffs, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasized Thursday that the plan had undergone thorough review, incorporating feedback from both Congress and the workforce, and had received approval from the Secretary of State.
“This is not about individuals being targeted, but about improving effectiveness through changes to the size and structure of the organization,” Bruce stated.
She further emphasized that despite legal delays, the process “will happen quickly,” following the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this week to lift a lower court’s block on the administration’s restructuring efforts. This ruling now paves the way for mass layoffs across 19 federal agencies.
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