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.

The State Department informed U.S.-based employees on Thursday that it would soon be laying off nearly 2,000 workers as part of a plan to downsize its domestic workforce.

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.

A rally is expected, with supporters “clapping out” departing State Department employees and protesting the layoffs at 4 p.m. Friday.

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

A senior State Department official faced tough questions on Capitol Hill Wednesday as he defended sweeping layoffs and the dismantling of the U.S.'s lead foreign aid agency.

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

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.

Some laid off employees were seen carrying boxes out of the U.S. State Department as supporters bid them farewell with applause and hugs.

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