WASHINGTON, Feb 24 — Most employees at USAID will be placed on leave or fired by midnight yesterday, the aid agency said, as President Donald Trump’s administration ploughs ahead in slashing government spending.

Around 1,600 workers based in the United States will be laid off in a “reduction-in-force” effort, according to a notice on the US Agency for International Development’s website.

All other staff directly hired by USAID will be placed on administrative leave globally, except those responsible for “mission-critical functions, core leadership and/or specially designated programmes.”

The move is a step forward in Trump’s effort to dismantle USAID, which has more than 10,000 employees and operates an array of humanitarian and development programmes around the world.