Sources familiar with the situation said the downsizing would cut about 1,000 to 1,200 employees at the Central Intelligence Agency.

The administration recently informed lawmakers on Capitol Hill that it intends to reduce the CIA’s workforce by about 1,200 personnel over several years and cut thousands more from other parts of the U.

US Congressional representatives have been informed that the CIA plans to cut around 1,200 positions, representing about 5 per cent of its workforce, through a combination of early retirements, voluntary resignations, and reduced future hiring, rather than large-scale layoffs.