The NASA-funded Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge announced Tuesday that it will lay off about 5% of its workforce.
“While this is incredibly difficult for our community, this number is lower than predicted just a few months ago, thanks in part to the hard work of so many people across JPL,” CEO Laurie Leshin wrote in a memo sent to employees.
This is the second time this year that the Los Angeles County facility has laid off hundreds of employees. In February, JPL, which plays an integral role in NASA’s Mars exploration program, was laid off 530 employeesapproximately 8% of the workforce. At the time, the facility attributed the cuts to a shrinking federal government budget. Leshin stated in an internal memo that the Mars program budget had been reduced by 63% compared to 2023.
“At our last town hall, I discussed our ongoing funding challenges and projections of what the potential impact on our workforce could look like,” Leshin said in the latest memo released on November 12. “Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, we will need to make another workforce reduction to meet available funding for FY’25.”
Leshin wrote that the layoffs will affect every unit within the laboratory, including the technical, project, business and support areas.
“With lower budgets and based on the forecast work ahead, we had to tighten our belts across the board, and this is reflected in the consequences of the layoffs,” she wrote.
The lab required all employees to work from home starting Nov. 13, which is when management is expected to notify affected staff.
“I know the absence of our colleagues will be acutely felt, especially after a very challenging year for the Lab,” Leshin wrote. “To those leaving JPL as a result of this action, we are grateful for your many essential contributions to JPL and to NASA. We will be here to support you during this time to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.”
After the layoffs, JPL will have approximately 5,500 employees. Leshin believed this would be the last round of cuts for the foreseeable future.
“While we can never be 100% certain of the future budget, we will be well positioned for the work ahead,” she wrote. “If we stay strong together, we will get through this, just as we have during other turbulent times in JPL’s nearly 90-year history.”
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology founded JPL in 1936. It partnered with NASA in 1958, one of the program’s first centers. Since then, Caltech has managed the facility while receiving federal funding from NASA.
JPL’s footprint was present at nearly every step of America’s space journey. Researchers at the facility helped develop the nation’s first satellite, named Explorer 1. They also played a vital role in NASA’s mission to the moon via Surveyor 1, the first soft landing on the moon that provided crucial information for the Apollo crews.
Recently, JPL helped NASA explore Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.
