Overview
- Deputy Secretary Michael Rigas told domestic staff to expect Reduction in Force notices as early as Friday, kicking off the execution phase of the reorganization.
- The RIF could impact between 1,500 and 3,400 employees, equal to about 15 percent of the State Department’s U.S. workforce and affecting over 300 offices and bureaus.
- Secretary Rubio’s plan aims to consolidate more than 300 domestic offices into a leaner structure focused on “results-driven diplomacy,” with no cuts planned at overseas posts.
- The Supreme Court’s July 8 decision lifted a district court injunction that had blocked the planned federal layoffs, removing the final legal barrier to the reorganization.
- Critics including the American Foreign Service Association warn that the timing of mass layoffs risks undercutting U.S. diplomatic readiness and eroding workforce morale.