# NASA reduction in force in 2025–2026: what's happening

**Author:** Zero G Talent
**Published:** 2026-02-28
**Category:** career-guides
**Tags:** nasa, aerospace, career-guide, operations

[Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/nasa-reduction-in-force-2026)

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# NASA reduction in force in 2025–2026: what's happening

<div class="blog-stats">
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">~3,800</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Departed (Deferred Resign)</div>
  </div>
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">24%</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Proposed Budget Cut</div>
  </div>
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value"><12,000</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Target Workforce</div>
  </div>
</div>

NASA is experiencing its most significant workforce reduction since the post-Apollo era. The agency's civil servant workforce is contracting from approximately 18,000 to a target of fewer than 12,000.

## Timeline

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| January 2025 | First deferred resignation program — ~1,500 employees leave |
| June 2025 | Second deferred resignation round — ~2,300 additional departures |
| FY2026 budget proposal | 24% cut: ~$25B to ~$19B. Science division faces 50% cut |
| Late 2025 | Hiring freeze in effect agency-wide |
| 2026 target | Fewer than 12,000 civil servants (lowest since Apollo) |

## Impact by area

| Area | Impact |
|------|--------|
| Science Mission Directorate | 50% proposed budget cut |
| Astrophysics division | ~70% proposed cut |
| JPL (Caltech-managed) | Four rounds of layoffs since early 2024; ~6,400 down to ~5,000 |
| Collective bargaining | Cancelled via executive order |

## What this means for job seekers

**NASA civil servant positions**: Extremely limited new hiring. The agency-wide hiring freeze means very few new GS positions will open in 2026.

**NASA contractor jobs**: Contractors (Jacobs, KBR, SAIC, Leidos) may also face cuts as programs lose funding, but contractor hiring is program-specific and less affected by the federal hiring freeze.

**Alternative paths**: Other space employers (SpaceX, Blue Origin, Northrop, Lockheed) are not affected by NASA's budget situation. Defense-related space programs continue to grow.

<div class="blog-callout blog-callout-warning">
  <div class="blog-callout-title">Evolving situation</div>
  <p>The FY2026 budget proposal is subject to Congressional action. Final funding levels may differ from the proposal. Monitor NASA's budget status and check usajobs.gov for any new civil servant postings.</p>
</div>

See our [NASA careers guide](/blog/nasa-careers-2026) and [NASA engineer salary guide](/blog/nasa-engineer-salary-2026). Browse [NASA positions on Zero G Talent](/space-jobs-at-nasa).


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*Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*