Planned layoffs and adjustments by the State Department reveal impending shifts in departmental structure
The United States State Department has unveiled a significant reorganization plan, which includes the layoff of hundreds of employees and voluntary departures, amounting to a reduction of more than 3,400 staff members.
According to the announcement, the Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs division will see a cut of about 22%, with 88 employees being laid off and another 80 leaving voluntarily. Offices such as Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) and Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) will now fall under the undersecretary for Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs.
Similarly, the Economic Growth, Energy and Environment division plans to RIF 198 employees and allow another 99 to leave voluntarily, resulting in a reduction of 42% of that team. The Arms Control and International Security division also plans to RIF 141 employees and allow another 104 to leave voluntarily, leading to a reduction of about 22% of that team.
The Political Affairs division will also be affected, with 112 employees being laid off and another 162 leaving through resignations, resulting in cuts of about 14%. The Management division plans to lay off 897 employees and let another 796 leave through deferred resignations, leading to a cut of around 15% of staff.
The Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs division will see the most significant reduction, with 386 employees being laid off and another 145 departing voluntarily, resulting in a 69% reduction.
However, it's important to note that the specifics of how the reorganization will impact foreign service officers were not detailed in the announcement. Employees whose offices disappear from the organizational chart will not necessarily be laid off; some may be reassigned.
The State Department has incorporated feedback from both the workforce and Congress in the reorganization plan. The department asks employees to ensure their personal contact information is up to date as changes resulting from the reorganization will be communicated to the workforce.
The reorganization aims to address "bureaucratic overgrowth" and streamline functions with overlapping responsibilities. Some significant reforms to bureau missions are included in the plan. The department's human resources team will work with personnel whose next assignments have been eliminated to find new roles.
The cuts will only impact domestic staff. The layoffs will exempt passport and visa operations with Consular Affairs, as well as special agents in active law enforcement cases and regional staff assigned to a specific country desk.
The plans presented on Thursday offer more detail than those first laid out by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in April. The State Department's statement did not comment on the ongoing litigation related to the court-ordered injunction.
The court-ordered injunction pausing State and 19 other agencies from carrying out changes is not immediately clear to comply with the decision to proceed with the reorganization plan. The cutbacks in the Department for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment will take place primarily at the Bundesrat level as part of broader governmental budget adjustments, but specific locations for these cuts are not detailed in the provided search results.
The reorganization is part of a broader effort to modernize the State Department and make it more efficient. It's a significant step towards streamlining the department's operations and aligning its mission with the priorities of the current administration.
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