Latest news with #VoluntarySeparationIncentiveProgram
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NASA losing nearly 4,000 employees to Trump administration's 'deferred resignation' program
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA is about to lose a lot of people. Nearly 4,000 agency employees have chosen to accept the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" option, reducing the agency's workforce by more than 20%. Those numbers come courtesy of NASA News Chief Cheryl Warner, who shared them in an email to reporters on Friday evening (July 25). The deferred resignation program (DRP) — which places participants on paid administrative leave until an agreed-upon departure date — is part of the White House's effort to reduce spending across government. So far, NASA employees have had two chances to apply to the DRP. During the first phase, which featured a February application deadline, about 870 employees, or 4.8% of the workforce, said yes, according to Warner. About 3,000 — 16.4% of the agency's staff — did so during the second phase, whose deadline passed just before midnight EDT on Friday, she added. That latter number includes folks who opted in to two similar programs, the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program. The numbers could change a bit in the coming weeks, Warner stressed. For example, some people may withdraw their resignations, and others may have their applications rejected. NASA has lost about 500 people via normal attrition as well since Trump took office in January. Counting those losses, NASA's workforce will shrink to about 14,000 by Jan. 9, 2026, when the employees who said yes during the DRP's second phase will come off the rolls, Warner said in the statement. Based on those numbers, the DRP and related efforts will be responsible for a roughly 21% cut to NASA's workforce. Related Stories: — NASA workers plan 'Moon Day' protest on July 20 to oppose mass layoffs, budget cuts. 'This year has been an utter nightmare that has not stopped.' — Trump's 2026 budget would slash NASA funding by 24% and its workforce by nearly one third — Senators push back on Trump's proposal to cut NASA science funding by 47% The buyouts are part of a concerted White House effort to shrink NASA spending. For example, in his 2026 federal budget request, Trump proposed cutting the agency's overall funding by 24% and slashing the agency's science budget by nearly half. Such moves have sparked protests by scientists, engineers and regular folks who care about space science and exploration. For example, nearly 300 NASA scientists recently signed the "Voyager Declaration," warning that the budget cuts, if enacted, would have devastating effects on American science and could impact astronaut safety. Solve the daily Crossword
Euronews
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
US space agency NASA set to lose around 20 percent of its workforce
Around 20% of staff at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, known as NASA, are expected to leave the space agency, a NASA email statement said Friday. According to US media reports, approximately 14,000 people would remain at NASA after the departure of some 3,870 people, though reports said that may change in the days and weeks ahead. NASA employees who chose to leave accepted the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" (DRP) option, according to the space agency's news Chief Cheryl Warner. According to Warner, about 870 personnel applied to leave in the first round, and another 3,000 did so in the second before Friday's deadline. The 500 employees who were let go as a result of regular attrition in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program were also included in the figure. 'Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organisation and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,' a statement said. Going by the numbers, NASA's staff is expected to shrink to about 14,000 by January next year. On Monday, some 362 signatories of a letter that included scientists and former and present NASA staff members released a statement denouncing budget cuts, grant cancellations, and what they called a "culture of organisational silence" that could endanger the safety of astronauts. The letter titled "Voyager Declaration" was the latest in a series of statements criticising cuts and changes that have been proposed at other government agencies. In his 2026 federal budget proposal, Trump slashed NASA's science budget by almost half and reduced its overall funding by 24%.
