Shortly after laying off hundreds, State hires new class of foreign service staff

Updated Sept. 2 at 7:43 p.m.

Less than 10 weeks after the State Department laid off hundreds of foreign service officers, citing bureaucratic bloat, it will begin onboarding new officers later this month.

The Office of Talent Acquisition began sending out notices to the new employees last week to notify them that their orientation class will begin Sept. 22, according to an email obtained by Government Executive. About 99 new employees will join the foreign service class, according to individuals involved in or familiar with the plans. 

The hiring follows State issuing reduction-in-force notices to 1,350 employees, about 250 of whom were FSOs. The move has caused current and laid-off staff to question why the cuts were necessary if State planned to quickly turn around and once again begin hiring. Most foreign servants work as generalists, moving from one role and location to the next every few years throughout their careers. 

A current State employee familiar with the hiring plans said “the optics are terrible.” 

A foreign service officer impacted by the layoffs said the new hiring demonstrates a lack of consistent thinking. “They indiscriminately fired hundreds only to turn around and start hiring almost immediately,” the soon-to-be-former officer said. 

Another laid-off foreign service officer noted the approach created significant waste, as State makes large investments in training the diplomatic corps throughout individual employee’s careers. 

“So the idea of firing 250 FSOs only to bring in more people in their wake is totally inefficient and the definition of wasteful government spending,” the laid-off staffer said. 

That person added the approach will open the door to the Trump administration intimidating new employees “who don’t know the rules of the road or when and how to push back.” 

A department spokesperson said State "welcomes a new class" of FSOs, calling the process standard. 

"This new class will be filling entry level positions throughout the department that were maintained in the reorganization," the spokesperson said.

State officials said ahead of the July layoffs that the department’s reorganization was meant to “refocus” its mission on core objectives and modern needs. The department was not saying those impacted by the layoffs “weren't doing a good job or weren't valuable members of the State Department family,” one official said, but the administration had an obligation to “do what's right for the mission and what's right for the American people.”

While the duties and areas in which FSOs serve shift regularly, State said it was targeting staff because of the offices in which they were serving in that moment. Some of those laid off have subsequently been awarded promotions for outstanding performance, though their RIFs remain in effect. 

Under President Biden, the foreign service grew by 6% at State and the department last year brought on its largest class size ever at 235. In May, the Trump administration welcomed another cohort of 104 foreign service personnel. 

While the Trump administration has successfully ushered hundreds of thousands of employees out of government since January, State is just the latest example of an agency seeking to unwind some of that work. The departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services and Labor have rescinded layoffs to fill staffing needs, while the Agriculture Department, Justice Department, Social Security Administration and other agencies have moved employees around to ensure continuity of critical functions. 

This story has been updated with comment from the State Department.