NASA Laying Off More Than 300 American Workers: Here’s Why

Within NASA there is a Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California that employs thousands of people.

In a startling announcement this week, NASA said they will be laying off 5 percent of that workforce, or about 325 employees.

Laurie Leshin, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director, said, "While we have taken various measures to meet our current FY’25 budget allocation, we have reached the difficult decision to reduce the JPL workforce through layoffs."

NASA goes on to say that they have lower budgets, they have some large projects on the horizon and the cuts are necessary to propel them into 2025 and beyond.

If you are maybe thinking this was a one-time tough call that NASA has had to make lately, you are incorrect. They have already done some other mass layoffs in 2024.

Earlier this year, the NASA JPL laid off around 8 percent of its workforce, around 530 workers.

With that in mind, Leshin also says, "I know the absence of our colleagues will be acutely felt, especially after a very challenging year for the Lab. To those leaving JPL as a result of this action, we are grateful for your many vital contributions to JPL and to NASA."

There is no word if the employees who will be affected will be offered other positions within the agency, or even if there are any to be offered.

This just goes to show you that with all of the layoffs and closures happening here in America, nobody is safe from the axe of the budget cut.