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.More than 1,000 US State Department employees have been laid off as part of the Trump administration’s push to shrink the federal workforce. The cuts, detailed in a notice sent to staff on Friday and reported by CBS News, include 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service workers. Additionally, over 1,500 employees opted for voluntary departures earlier this year amid the government’s extensive reorganisation efforts.
The layoffs have sparked criticism, with concerns raised about their impact on the department’s operations. CBS News reported that nearly all civil service officers in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration’s admissions office, which oversees refugee resettlement in the US, were dismissed. Staff from the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) office were also affected. Social media footage captured emotional scenes as departing employees were applauded and hugged by colleagues in the State Department’s lobby. Outside, protesters gathered with signs reading “Thank you to America’s diplomats” and “We all deserve better.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Malaysia on Thursday, defended the cuts, stating, “It’s not a consequence of trying to get rid of people. But if you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions.” However, Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned the move, arguing that “blanket and indiscriminate cuts” undermine national security and weaken the government’s ability to serve effectively. They linked the layoffs to the “failed DOGE effort” associated with Elon Musk. The reductions follow a recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration to proceed with plans to downsize the federal workforce. The State Department, which had over 18,700 US-based employees, previously notified Congress of its intent to cut its workforce by 18% through voluntary exits and layoffs, aligning with President Trump’s campaign pledge to reduce government spending. The layoffs come shortly after the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on 1 July, with over 80% of its programmes cancelled and the remainder absorbed by the State Department.
