US State Department to issue layoff notices amid downsizing plans: Report

WASHINGTON

The US State Department will begin notifying employees of impending layoffs via email “in the coming days” as part of the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the federal government, according to a report Thursday, citing an internal memo.

The Washington Post said Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas informed staff of the move, which follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s earlier pledge to reduce the department’s US workforce by more than 15% -- nearly 2,000 positions.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Thursday that the reorganization plan “has been approved by the Secretary and developed with extensive feedback from Congress and the workforce itself” and is now “moving into implementation.”

“It will happen quickly...This is not going to be an extended wait,” she added.

The Supreme Court last week lifted a lower court’s block on the administration’s restructuring plans, allowing mass layoffs across 19 federal agencies.