543 employees to be laid off at Southern California space lab

CALIFORNIA – The Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), a federally funded research and development center, notified the Employment Development Department that it would be laying off 543 employees effective December 31, 2025.

In a statement, JPL said it is undergoing a realignment of its workforce, including a reduction in staff.

JPL director Dave Gallagher said the reduction is part of a reorganization that began in July and it is not related to the current government shutdown.

It affects employees across technical, business, and support areas.

‘Continuing vital work for NASA’

JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for NASA. Founded in the 1930s as a rocket research facility, JPL is now a leading center for robotic space exploration.

Gallagher said this week’s action, while not easy, is essential to securing JPL’s future.

JPL is streamlining operations to focus on core capabilities and fiscal discipline while continuing its vital work for NASA and the nation, Gallagher said.

JPL has had multiple rounds of layoffs

JPL experienced multiple rounds of layoffs in 2024. In February, approximately 530 employees were laid off, accounting for about 8% of the workforce. Another 325 employees were let go in November 2024, marking the second round of layoffs that year.

The lab faced financial pressures, particularly from high-cost initiatives like the Mars Sample Return mission, a $10 billion-plus project effectively canceled under the Trump FY26 budget proposal.

In January 2025, the Eaton Fire temporarily displaced over 200 JPL employees, adding to the challenges faced by staff during recent workforce reductions.

By October 2025, JPL’s workforce had decreased from about 6,600 employees in early 2024 to approximately 4,500, reflecting a reduction of over 30% in less than two years.

Judy Chu (D-California) described the cuts as “a loss of scientific knowledge and expertise that threatens the very future of American leadership in space exploration.”