JPL has taken various measures to meet the current FY’25 budget allocation, but have reached the difficult decision to reduce the workforce through layoffs. This reduction affects approximately 325 colleagues, an impact of about 5% of the workforce. The impacts are occurring across technical, business, and support areas of the lab.
JPL will be taking a workforce action today, but the number of employees impacted is lower than projected a few months ago.
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During the last town hall, JPL discussed the continued funding challenges and projections of what the potential impact on the workforce could look like. JPL had been working through multiple workforce scenarios to address the dynamic funding environment, and have been doing everything they can to minimize adverse effects on JPL’s capabilities and team.
Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, JPL needs to make one further workforce reduction to meet the available funding for FY’25. This reduction is spread across essentially all areas of the lab. JPL has taken the need seriously to re-size their workforce, whether direct-funded (project) or funded on overhead (burden).
With lower budgets, JPL has to tighten belts across the board.
As part of a workforce assessment and determining where reductions are being made, JPL has taken time to complete a full review of competencies, future mission needs, and have established guidance for core capabilities across the lab. JPL has worked closely with the executive council, division managers, project leadership and others to ensure the appropriate levels of technical expertise remain on hand. The focus will continue to be on empowering managers to support their teams through this action and equipping JPL with a variety of resources as they move forward together.
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