NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab announces second round of layoffs, citing budget constraints

NASA

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California is implementing another round of layoffs, impacting around 325 employees, or about 5% of its workforce. This new development was announced on Tuesday, November 12. JPL, managed by the California Institute of Technology, oversees many of NASA's key robotic missions, including the Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rovers.

According to JPL’s recent statement, the layoffs will affect various departments, spanning technical, business, and support areas. The laboratory emphasized the necessity of these changes, describing them as essential to managing the current budget while sustaining their critical work for NASA and the nation.

This marks JPL’s second round of layoffs in 2024. In February, JPL reduced its workforce by 8%, letting go of 530 employees and 40 contractors. Those earlier cuts were partly due to decreased funding for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) initiative, a mission aimed at retrieving samples collected by Perseverance and bringing them back to Earth by the 2030s. However, JPL did not reference the MSR funding directly in this latest round of layoffs, attributing the decision instead to broader budget constraints.

In a memo to staff, JPL Director Laurie Leshin clarified that the recent presidential election did not influence the layoff decision, which, she stated, was based solely on budget considerations. She reassured staff that, following this reduction, JPL’s workforce would stabilize at about 5,500 employees and expressed optimism that further layoffs would not be necessary in the near future.

The lab's ongoing financial adjustments reflect JPL’s commitment to maintaining a sustainable workforce aligned with projected projects and funding levels, while continuing its vital work in robotic planetary exploration.