TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The US State Department began laying off 1,353 employees on Friday, July 11, 2025, as part of a sweeping government reorganization under President Donald Trump aimed at cutting around 15 percent of the domestic workforce. The downsizing, known as a reduction in force (RIF), had been planned for some time.
CBS News reported that the layoffs include 1,107 civil servants and 246 foreign service staff. In total, close to 3,000 employees are expected to leave the department, including those who had previously accepted voluntary buyouts through the Fork in the Road program.
Layoffs Follow Supreme Court Ruling
Fox News noted that layoff notices were issued on Thursday, one day before the dismissals began. The move came after the US Supreme Court gave the Trump administration the green light to proceed with its federal workforce cuts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio first announced the reorganization in April, stating the effort was intended to eliminate outdated roles and offices. President Trump had earlier signed an executive order in February instructing Rubio to restructure the foreign service.
Closures and Streamlining
Beyond the layoffs, the State Department will shut down or merge a significant number of domestic offices and overhaul its internal structure.
In a plan sent to Congress in May, the department proposed terminating about 1,800 positions from its 18,000-person domestic staff. Another 1,575 employees are expected to leave through phased retirement.
The restructuring plan also includes streamlining over 300 of the department’s 734 bureaus and offices by merging or eliminating overlapping functions.
In an internal email to staff, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas said that employees impacted by the changes would soon receive official notifications. He also expressed appreciation to those leaving the department, thanking them “for their dedication and service to the United States.”
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