More Than 1,000 Laid Off at U.S. State Department Amid Federal Workforce Cuts
Over 1,300 employees have been laid off at the U.S. State Department as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping effort to shrink the size of the federal government, according to an internal notice obtained by CBS News.
The notice, distributed to staff on Friday, confirmed that 1,107 civil service employees and 246 members of the foreign service were subject to involuntary layoffs. These cuts follow the voluntary departure of more than 1,500 State Department staff earlier this year, as part of a broader federal reorganisation initiative.
The layoffs have sparked concern both within the department and on Capitol Hill, with critics warning that the reductions could significantly undermine the State Department’s capacity to carry out its diplomatic mission.
Among the hardest-hit areas is the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration’s Office of Admissions, which oversees refugee resettlement in the U.S. Reports indicate that nearly the entire civil service team there was let go. Staff working in the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) office, which supports Afghan allies who assisted the U.S. military, were also affected.
Footage circulating online showed emotional scenes inside the department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, with departing employees carrying boxes of belongings and receiving hugs and applause from their colleagues. Outside the building, a small group of protesters held signs reading “We all deserve better” and “Thank you to America’s diplomats.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Malaysia, downplayed the scope of the cuts. “It’s not a consequence of trying to get rid of people,” he said. “But if you close the bureau, you don’t need those positions. Understand that some of these are positions being eliminated, not people.”
Democratic senators on the Foreign Relations Committee released a joint statement condemning the layoffs, calling them “blanket and indiscriminate cuts” that “undermine our national security.” The lawmakers also blamed the mass firings in part on the legacy of the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial project championed by tech billionaire Elon Musk during Trump’s second term.
The Supreme Court recently upheld the administration’s legal authority to proceed with the federal workforce reduction plan, clearing the path for the latest round of layoffs.
Earlier this year, the State Department outlined plans to reduce its U.S.-based staff by 18%, citing a need to cut spending. The department reportedly had a domestic workforce of over 18,700 prior to the voluntary departures and layoffs.
The State Department layoffs follow the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which was officially dissolved at the beginning of July. More than 80% of USAID programs were canceled as early as March, and remaining operations have now been absorbed into the State Department.
The full impact of these cuts on U.S. diplomacy and humanitarian work remains to be seen, but many warn the effects could be felt for years to come.
