On Friday, the U.S. State Department began laying off more than 1,300 employees as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce.
A State Department official stated that 1,107 civil service employees and 246 foreign service officers were notified of their layoffs.
According to The Washington Post, State Department employees received their layoff notifications via email.
Foreign service officers will lose their jobs 120 days after receiving the notice and will be placed on administrative leave immediately, while civil service employees will be terminated after 60 days, according to the newspaper.
The layoffs at the State Department come three days after a Supreme Court ruling paved the way for the Trump administration to begin mass layoffs of federal employees.
The conservative-majority Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that had blocked Trump’s plans, which could lead to tens of thousands of government workers being dismissed.
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) condemned the State Department layoffs, describing them as a “catastrophic blow to our national interests.“
In a statement, the association said:
“At a moment of great global instability — with the war in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the growing challenge posed by authoritarian regimes to the international order — the United States has chosen to weaken its frontline diplomatic force.”
Last year, the U.S. State Department employed over 80,000 people worldwide, according to an informational document, with approximately 17,700 serving in domestic roles.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a major restructuring of the department at the end of April, publishing a post on X (formerly Twitter) outlining plans to cut the workforce by 15%.
Since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has made shrinking the federal workforce one of his key priorities. He initiated significant cuts in jobs and spending through the “Government Efficiency Authority”, which is headed by billionaire Elon Musk.
Ned Price, who served as the State Department spokesperson under former Democratic President Joe Biden, condemned the layoffs, describing them as arbitrary.
For her part, former Ambassador Barbara Leaf, who held a senior Middle East–related position during the Biden administration, said the move “will have terrible consequences for our ability to protect American citizens abroad, and to continue defending the national interest and our national security.”
In a post on LinkedIn, she added:
“This is not a restructuring. It’s a purge,” according to AFP.
