Amid hiring push, State Dept finalizes hundreds of layoffs initiated last summer

Key Points:

• The State Department has finalized layoffs for nearly 280 employees, including about 250 Foreign Service and 30 civil service workers, who had been on paid administrative leave for nearly a year following reduction-in-force (RIF) notices issued last summer.
• The layoffs are part of a broader departmental reorganization aimed at streamlining government functions, eliminating redundancy, and enhancing accountability, despite criticism from the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) regarding the loss of experienced diplomats.
• Lawmakers and AFSA have expressed concern that the department is removing skilled personnel while simultaneously hiring new staff, potentially disrupting diplomatic capabilities during critical international conflicts.
• The department plans to continue shrinking its workforce, with fiscal 2027 budget projections showing a reduction to about 11,000 Foreign Service and 6,000 civil service employees, down from pre-Trump administration levels.
• Changes to federal employee performance assessments may lead to additional Foreign Service departures, as the department prepares to limit top performance ratings and resume recommending low-performing employees for removal.