Job cuts to hit US State Department soon as Trump reshapes diplomacy
State Department tells staffers that lay-off notices are coming after Supreme Court clears way for cuts
The US State Department will start sending notices to members of its workforce impacted by the reorganisation soon, the agency’s top official for management said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump’s administration moves ahead with its plans to overhaul the US diplomatic corps and cut jobs.
“Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force,” Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas said in an email to the workforce.
“Once notifications have taken place, the Department will enter the final stage of its reorganisation and focus its attention on delivering results-driven diplomacy,” Rigas said.
The move was the first step of a restructuring that Trump has sought to ensure US foreign policy is aligned with his “America First” agenda. It would likely result in hundreds of job cuts including members of the elite foreign service who advocate for US interests in the face of growing assertiveness from adversaries such as China and Russia.
No State Department official publicly said when the first notices for the planned lay-offs would be sent, but the widespread expectation was for the terminations to start as soon as Friday.