US State Department begins mass layoffs amid reorganization

WASHINGTON

The US State Department began firing more than 1,300 employees on Friday as part of a sweeping reorganization under the Trump administration, multiple US media outlets reported.

According to CNN, citing an internal notice, the layoffs affect 1,107 civil service employees and 246 foreign service officers, with notices sent via email.

Foreign service officers who are given “Reduction in Force” (RIF) notices will be placed on 120 days of administrative leave, while most civil servants will receive 60 days, according to the notice.

The total number of departures, including voluntary exits, is expected to approach 3,000, it reported.

Internal messages reviewed by the New York Times said US-based employees would begin receiving termination notices as early as Friday morning.

Officials quoted by the Times said more than half of that number will come from voluntary departures, including those who accepted the administration’s “deferred resignation” offer.

The plan—unveiled in May by Secretary of State Marco Rubio—will shrink the department’s domestic workforce by about 15%.

Critics warn the cuts will harm US diplomatic capacity amid global crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran and also argue that the cuts target offices focused on human rights, democracy, refugees, and war crimes.

Defending the move Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the plan “has been approved by the secretary and developed with extensive feedback from Congress and the workforce.”

“This is not about individuals being targeted, but about improving effectiveness through changes to the size and structure of the organization,” she added.

Bruce also noted the process “will happen quickly” despite court-related delays.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court’s block on the administration’s restructuring plans, allowing mass layoffs across 19 federal agencies.