Marking a rare shift in the swift expansion of Jeff Bezos’ space venture, many employees at Blue Origin have been rendered jobless. The downsizing is primarily impacting the human- resources and talent- acquisition departments.
The news has been confirmed through LinkedIn, by Micah Thornton, production control specialist, Blue Origin.
Furthermore, sources close to the information have also revealed that certain employees were offered the chance to secure a different position within the company.
Established in the year 2000, Blue Origin’s workforce has been consistently expanding in recent times, driven by various initiatives. The company recently launched various initiatives such as the suborbital New Shepard programme (presently on hold following a launch incident a year ago), the BE-4 rocket engine, the orbital-class New Glenn rocket, the Blue Moon lunar lander, and the Orbital Reef space station.
Just a few years ago, in 2018, the company had fewer than 1,000 employees. However, two years ago, the employee count had surged to nearly 4,000, and it continued to grow to 6,000 by July 2022. The company’s workforce comprises employees from various locations in the US such as Kent, Alabama, California, Florida, Texas, and the Washington D.C. area.
Currently, the company has a workforce that is 11,000 strong.
Despite the recent layoffs, Blue Origin is actively recruiting for various positions, with a focus on technical roles. Its career website currently displays over 440 job openings.
