Translated with AI
As part of a reorganization, the US State Department announced on Friday the dismissal of more than 1,300 employees, Interfax reports, citing the Associated Press (AP).
Layoff notices have been sent to 1,107 government employees and 246 diplomatic personnel serving in the United States. The latter will be placed on unpaid leave for 120 days, after which they will officially lose their jobs. For most government employees, the leave period will be 60 days.
AP notes that the State Department reported its reorganization plans to the US Congress back in May 2025. According to the department's letter to the US parliament, the process will affect more than 300 departments and divisions that, in the State Department's opinion, "duplicate other structures or have unclear functionality."
The letter also states that "in the opinion of ( US Secretary of State Marco – IF ) Rubio, effective modern diplomacy requires streamlining the bloated bureaucracy."
Rubio expressed a similar position the day before.
"This is not a result of trying to get rid of people. But if the department is closed, the need for positions is eliminated. Understand that it is not people that are eliminated, but positions," Rubio said.
Despite Rubio's assurances, the reorganization decision has drawn criticism. According to the American Academy of Diplomacy, the upcoming cuts to the State Department "will seriously weaken the government's ability to respond to, understand, and explain the challenges of today's complex and ambiguous world."
