The State Department began firing more than 1,350 US-based employees on Friday. President Donald Trump’s management pushed for an unprecedented overhaul of diplomatic corps, critics undermined the US’s ability to defend and promote US interests, Reuters reported.
The layoffs affecting 1,107 US-based civil servants and 246 foreign service members come as Washington tackles multiple crises at a global stage. The Middle East is due to the Russian war in Ukraine, the Gaza conflict for almost two years, and tensions between Israel and Iran.
“The department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the State Department said, which was sent to the workforce. “The cuts have been carefully tuned to affect non-core features, duplicate or redundant offices, and offices where significant efficiency can be found,” he added.
Of the 18,000 US-based employees, the total workforce cut will be nearly 3,000, including voluntary departures, according to a senior State Department official.