State Department is firing more than 1,300 staff on Friday, internal memo says

The State Department is firing more than 1,300 people on Friday as part of a dramatic overhaul of the agency, according to an internal notice seen by CNN.

The State Department is firing more than 1,300 people on Friday as part of a dramatic overhaul of the agency, according to an internal notice seen by CNN. The firings will affect 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service officers, the notice said. It comes as the State Department implements a drastic reorganization as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to shrink the federal government. Hundreds of offices and bureaus are being eliminated or altered as a result of the changes. “Nearly 3,000 members of the workforce will depart as part of the reorganization,” the notice said. That number includes people who are being fired as well as those leaving voluntarily. “In connection with the Departmental reorganization first announced by the Secretary of State on April 22, 2025, the Department is streamlining domestic operations to focus on diplomatic priorities,” the notice said. “Headcount reductions have been carefully tailored to affect non-core functions, duplicative or redundant offices, and offices where considerable efficiencies may be found from centralization or consolidation of functions and responsibilities.”