Following the layoff of over 500 employees earlier this year, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA announced on Tuesday (12th) that they will be cutting 325 more jobs, affecting approximately 5% of its workforce. The reason cited for these layoffs is the continued concern over insufficient funding for the laboratory.
JPL Director Laurie Leshin stated in a memo sent to employees on Tuesday that the layoffs would begin on Wednesday, and all JPL staff were instructed to work from home.
Leshin pointed out that the number of planned layoffs is “lower than predicted a few months ago, which is to some extent thanks to the hard work of many at JPL.”
“The workforce assessment conducted throughout this process has been both extensive and thorough,” Leshin wrote. “While we can never have perfect foresight into the future, I genuinely believe that following this action, we will achieve a more stable workforce level.”
According to Leshin, the layoffs are expected to impact nearly all areas of the laboratory, including technology, projects, operations, and support services. She stated that this decision is in response to the “dynamic funding environment” of the space agency.
“The reduction in budget, coupled with projected workloads, has necessitated cost-cutting measures across the board, which will be reflected in the impacts of the layoffs,” Leshin reiterated. “This is the final cross-lab workforce action we foresee needing to take in the foreseeable future.”
Leshin noted that following this, JPL will have approximately 5,500 regular employees, which she described as a “stable and sustainable workforce number.” She said, “While we can never be 100% certain about future budget circumstances, we will be well-prepared for the work ahead.”
In February of this year, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced layoffs of over 500 employees, partly due to anticipated federal funding reduction for supporting the Mars Sample Return mission, which aims to retrieve soil and rock samples collected by Mars rovers for analysis.