US State Department lays off over 1,300 employees
The US State Department laid off more than 1,300 employees, and those who completed their last day of work in the capital Washington left the building where they had worked for years to the applause of their colleagues.
- Americas
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 04:11 | 12 July 2025
Employees gathered in the lobby and outside the entrance of the State Department building, offering support to their colleagues who were leaving with their personal belongings in hand, applauding them in a show of solidarity.
The previous day, Deputy Secretary of State Michael J. Rigas had informed staff via email that the layoffs would begin.
The dismissals are considered part of a broader restructuring plan announced in May by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the Department as "bloated" and bogged down by bureaucracy.