State Department to Lay Off 3,000 Employees in Force Reduction Plan

The State Department said on July 11 that it will lay off nearly 3,000 of its employees as part of its reorganization plan. A State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times that “Care has been taken not to compromise core diplomatic functions, including diplomatic security, passport services, and diplomats staffing country desks.” The department started sending layoff notices the same day, letting employees know that their positions were “abolished,” according to a notice obtained and reviewed by The Associated Press. Terminated employees will lose access to the department’s headquarters at 5 p.m. Affected foreign service officers were placed on immediate administrative leave for 120 days, after which time they will be relieved of their positions, according to a separate internal notice. For most civil servants, the separation period is 60 days....