July 12, 2025: In a sweeping restructuring effort, the U.S. State Department has begun firing over 1,300 personnel, including 1,107 civil service staff and 246 foreign service officers, according to an internal notice and CNN report. The layoffs, part of a broader reorganisation under the Trump administration, aim to streamline domestic operations and align them with new diplomatic priorities.
Employees were informed of their dismissals via email, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio returned from a diplomatic trip to Malaysia. The overall restructuring is expected to impact nearly 3,000 employees, including those departing voluntarily. Most civil servants will have 60 days of administrative leave, while foreign service officers will receive 120 days before their exit becomes official.
The layoffs focus on non-core functions and redundant offices, with critics warning the cuts could undermine U.S. diplomatic capabilities amid global tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East. The American Foreign Service Association condemned the move as “untethered from merit or mission” and warned of lasting damage to morale, recruitment, and global diplomacy.
Rubio defended the restructuring, stating it was “probably the most deliberate” of its kind, though no clear cost-saving figures were provided. While overseas posts are reportedly safe for now, domestic diplomats in shuttered offices are bearing the brunt of the change.