A former senior U.S. official said it was “shortsighted” to consolidate the department’s well-respected intelligence arm.

The involuntary staff reductions include 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign service employees, according to a notice sent to employees Friday morning.

Employees of the U.S. State Department could receive a layoff notice via email very soon as part of the Trump administration's plan to downsize the government.

Administration officials say the plan will cut down on unwieldy bureaucracy and modernize the agency.

US stakeholders have rallied in support of the 1,300 State Department employees laid off – a move they say will damage cultural exchange.

The State Department will start sending notices to members of its workforce impacted by the reorganization soon, the agency's top official for management said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump's administration moves ahead with its plans to overhaul the U.

The State Department has formally advised staffers that it will be sending layoff notices to some of them soon.

The complexity of the State Department’s layoffs stems from the hundreds of “competitive areas” it set up ahead of time.