On Tuesday, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed that it will implement another round of layoffs, marking the second occurrence this year, in response to decreased budget allocations from NASA.
According to a statement from JPL, approximately 325 employees, which is about 5% of its workforce, will be impacted by the cuts. Reductions were anticipated to take place in technical, business, and support sectors.
“These are painful but necessary adjustments that will enable us to adhere to our budget while continuing our important work for NASA and our nation,” the statement added.
Workers impacted by the recent wave of layoffs were scheduled to receive notifications on Wednesday.
In February, JPL revealed intentions to reduce its workforce by approximately 530 employees, which constitutes around 8% of its total staff, due to a decreased budget from NASA and the absence of a new fiscal year spending plan from Congress.
In February, job cuts were initiated due to a decrease in federal funding for the Mars Sample Return mission, aimed at determining if life has ever existed on Mars through the analysis of materials from the planet.