Blue Origin laying off roughly 10% of staff

Jeff Bezos-founded space company Blue Origin plans to lay off about 10% of its workforce, according to a company-wide email obtained by FOX Business.

Employees in some engineering, research and development, and “program/project management” positions will lose their jobs in the layoffs, according to the email from CEO Dave Limp. He told employees in the message that the company is also “thinning out our layers of management.”

“Our primary focus in 2025 and beyond is to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness, and efficiency for our customers,” Limp said. “We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed. It also became clear that the makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities.”

The planned layoffs were earlier reported by Reuters.

The company was formed in 2000. Almost 14,000 people work for Blue Origin, according to Reuters. 

Blue Origin employees were expected to receive emails Thursday morning letting them know whether their position has been impacted by the layoffs, Limp’s message said. The emails for workers getting laid off would include information about severance packages, COBRA coverage, career support services and access to counseling. 

Limp also said in the email that he remains “extremely confident” in the “enormous opportunities” ahead for Blue Origin.

“We will continue to invest, invent, and hire hundreds of positions in areas that will help us achieve our goals and best serve our customers,” the CEO wrote. “We will be a stronger, faster, and more customer-focused company that consistently meets and exceeds our commitments. This year alone, we will land on the Moon, deliver a record number of incredible engines, and fly New Glenn and New Shepard on a regular cadence.”

Blue Origin launched its New Glenn rocket for the first time in January. NASA, Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile and others have contracted with the company for future launches. 

JEFF BEZOS’ BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCHES NEW ROCKET ON FIRST TEST FLIGHT

The company said in January it has “several vehicles in production and multiple years of orders” for New Glenn.

Earlier this month, Blue Origin conducted its 29th launch of its New Shepard rocket.