JPL announces 300 job layoffs

But officials have some strategies that should help reduce the blow suffered by the cuts.LA CA—ADA FLINTRIDGE -- A robust local economy coupled with hopes of retaining jobs for new projects at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory could soften the blow of layoffs announced this week at the sprawling campus.

Reacting to an expected 2% to 5% reduction in NASA funding, JPL director Charles Elachi announced the planned layoff of 200 employees and 100 contractors during a staff meeting Monday.

Elachi warned about potential layoffs as early as Sept. 7 when he first learned NASA’s 2005-06 fiscal year budget might be trimmed, JPL spokeswoman Veronica McGregor said. NASA’s 2004-05 budget was $1.6 billion. Though the fiscal year started Oct. 1, Congress has yet to approve the national budget, McGregor said.

About 380 of JPL’s 5,400 employees live in La Cañada Flintridge, a city of about 21,000 with 7,000 single-family residences.

“I’m understanding that they still have to identify the positions they will be laying off,” La Cañada Flintridge City Manager Mark Alexander said. “And it appears as though they will be looking to outside contracts,” as a way to offset the layoffs.

Either way, the city economy should remain strong.

“As far as general impact, I don’t think this will be as serious,” Alexander said. “It’s unfortunate, but I don’t see a major impact on local economy as a result.”

Local Realtor Sid Karsh said the city’s population has become more diverse making it less susceptible to minor employment shifts.

“What’s happened in last 20 years is a lot of entertainment industry people have come over here and we didn’t have that much before,” Karsh said. “The attraction here is the schools. We’re a horse community with large lots and few sidewalks and streetlights.”

Karsh, who has 40 years of real estate experience, said there might be a social impact if JPL employees left in large numbers.

“They’ve always been a great neighbor,” Karsh said. “The people are very involved in all parts of life, the schools and churches. They are wonderful to have here.”

JPL officials have some strategies that should help reduce the blow suffered by the layoffs.

Officials started a hiring freeze in September and will not refill vacancies created when employees leave or retire, McGregor said.

“Another mitigating factor is that Dr. Elachi is trying to acquire new programs that we already have the expertise to perform,” McGregor said.

If JPL could secure Department of Defense programs, it would mean more revenues from a different source, McGregor said.

JPL, known for its robotic exploration of the solar system, is part of the private California Institute of Technology.

The lab, which started as a Caltech research lab in the 1930s, was also used by the U.S. Army, McGregor said.

JPL is the only one of 10 NASA centers that is managed for NASA by an education facility. The employees are not civil servants but employees of Cal Tech, McGregor said.

In an effort to control spending, JPL axed missions, including sending a spacecraft to explore Jupiter’s icy moons and an orbiter to gather data about Mars’ atmosphere.