The US State Department has revealed its intention to proceed with a major restructuring, which will involve significant layoffs affecting the diplomatic corps. These layoffs, known as Reductions in Force (RIFs), combined with voluntary redundancies, will impact nearly 15% of the department’s domestic workforce, approximating to around 1,800 staff members. This restructural change aims to align the department’s mission with President Donald Trump’s policy of ‘America First’.
This decision by the State Department was made after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, which was against a federal judge’s order holding back plans for widespread government redundancies that could affect hundreds of thousands of federal employees.
The State Department intends to eliminate redundant positions and merge several bureaus to streamline operations, stating their aim to make the bureaucracy more manageable for the Trump administration. The department argues that such redundancies have proliferated in recent years, including during the Clinton administration’s post-Cold War era.
The changes will see bureaucratic power shift towards regional bureaus, implementing a simpler chain of command and potentially empowering political appointees. Offices focused on immigration and democracy promotion will see a shift in their missions, reflecting a skeptical view of traditional American diplomacy from the Trump administration.
The restructuring aims to empower regional bureaus closer to diplomacy “happening” by moving cross-cutting functions and redundant offices to these bureaus and embassies worldwide. However, the department officials have declined to elaborate further on the RIFs plans, stating they want the affected employees to hear about the details directly from the department, for their own “dignity”.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/state-department-layoffs-rif-trump
