Worldwide US diplomatic missions face a 10% workforce reduction as part of a restructuring initiative.
According to ABC News and Reuters, the US State Department has instructed its embassies globally to prepare for staff cuts.
Sources cited by Reuters indicate that some missions have been told to reduce staffing levels by 10%, impacting both US and locally hired personnel.
ABC News sources report that senior embassy officials have been tasked with creating comprehensive employee lists, encompassing permanent, probationary, and temporary staff.
This directive follows President Trump’s executive order, “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” which emphasizes aligning State Department staff with the administration’s foreign policy objectives. The order prioritizes an “exceptional workforce of patriots” and outlines Foreign Service reforms involving staffing adjustments and updates to the Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbooks.
NBC News reported that the Trump administration is also considering closing several US consulates and diplomatic posts worldwide to reduce costs. The report names consulates in Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands as potentially affected. Officials are reportedly evaluating these facilities’ alignment with the “America First” agenda, factoring in diplomatic necessity and other government activities such as military and intelligence operations.
These actions are part of President Trump’s broader plan to reshape the federal workforce, including a proposed 10% reduction in government employees to improve efficiency and lower costs. The administration has already begun laying off probationary workers lacking civil service protection.
Furthermore, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, aims to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. While Musk acknowledges this goal is ambitious, he suggests $1 trillion in cuts may be achievable.
DOGE has already implemented significant cost-cutting measures, including the dissolution of USAID and the CFPB, and the imposition of strict limits on NIH grants, reflecting a broader strategy to eliminate wasteful spending and enhance government efficiency.