NASA Spared in Federal Workforce Downsizing

NASA's probationary employees were spared from termination in a last-minute decision by the Trump administration, amidst a broader effort to downsize the federal workforce led by the Department of Government Efficiency. Initially, there were fears that up to 10% of NASA’s 18,000 federal staff would be laid off as part of cost-cutting measures. By late afternoon on Tuesday, directors at NASA field centers received confirmation that their probationary staff would not be dismissed. Jared Isaacman, nominated to lead NASA, was speculated to have influenced the suspension of these cuts. Despite the temporary reprieve, it remains unclear why only NASA was exempt, and future layoffs are still anticipated. This decision follows a broader trend of mass layoffs across federal agencies, with more than 75,000 federal employees having resigned under a voluntary program.