The U.S. State Department has commenced issuing termination notices to over 1,350 employees as part of a major reorganization of America’s diplomatic corps. This decision follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision just last week to lift a temporary ban on mass firings. The ban had originally been enacted by the Trump administration. The large scale of these layoffs would be unprecedented for the diplomatic workforce as about 15% of the State Department’s personnel are affected.
The notice filed with the city on Thursday served as official notice that it intends to proceed with the layoffs, which started Friday morning. This reorganization takes place against the backdrop of rising global chaos. Continuing atrocities and humanitarian disasters in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza, Haiti and Myanmar further add to this cauldron. Critics, including key Democratic senators, have criticized the enormous layoffs as directly threatening national security.
According to State Department employees, morale has dropped like a rock ever since the reorganization was announced. A U.S. diplomat noted, “Morale has been rock-bottom since they announced [the reorganization]. I think for some people the fact it is finally happening is a relief but it’s awful.” This is the sentiment of many deeply alarmed career diplomats and Foreign Service staff, who are on the receiving end of these measures.
The reorganization has already drawn fire from a variety of perspectives. Earlier this month, Democratic senators, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-signed a statement condemning the layoffs, claiming that they “undermine our national security.” They emphasized that “now is the time to strengthen our diplomatic hand, not weaken it,” particularly in light of current international challenges.
The American Foreign Service Association has condemned the layoffs, stating, “At a moment of great global instability – with war raging in Ukraine, conflict between Israel and Iran, and authoritarian regimes testing the boundaries of international order – the United States has chosen to gut its frontline diplomatic workforce.” The association further declared, “We oppose this decision in the strongest terms.”
Even a senior State Department official speaking on background recognized the challenges in doing such a reorganization, saying, “It is hard for everybody. Looking ahead These leaders uniformly defended their organizations’ communication practices surrounding the layoffs. What they really meant was that they had no plans to do a mass email blast the day of an employee notification. Rather, they painted the rollout as in line with expectations during a process that is inherently chaotic.
1,600 more employees had recently departed the service under a voluntary redundancy program enacted in recent months. This trend highlights growing uncertainty within the department and raises questions about its ability to fulfill its mission effectively in light of reduced staff.
As these transformative changes take shape, the 22nd-century challenges before us put US diplomacy under the microscope like never before. Given the current landscape of wars and humanitarian crises, our country needs seasoned diplomats who are able to operate in complicated international theaters.