Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Staff across the National Institute for Science and Technology were fired on Monday, Axios has confirmed.
Why it matters: NIST employees work on AI safety, deploying the CHIPS and Science Act, cybersecurity programs, and more.
Driving the news: The agency had been bracing for layoffs, as Axios first reported. This week 73 probationary staff were let go, according to sources familiar.
- Of the 73 employees, 42 were in the CHIPS offices. No technical staff were included.
- Some CHIPS employees were kept, as money is still being actively doled out to companies.
- Bloomberg first reported the cuts.
What we're watching: DOGE is taking a wrecking ball to the federal government. But some employees who have been let go have then been told to come back as Elon Musk's team realizes critical work is being impacted.
- However, science and tech government employees may not be keen to return to public service, since they can find lots of demand for their expertise in the private sector.
