The news is full of layoffs lately. From major brands like Twitter and Tesla to tech startups and game developers, a lot of companies are in reassess, restructure, and reset mode, hoping to make the bottom line look better. Chatter about remote work and the alleged ‘Great Resignation’ has lowered to a whisper. What’s being shouted out everywhere is the number of layoffs happening all over the U.S. So are we still in a candidate market? Yes and no. We saw this back in 2020. When everyone else was sending out layoff notices each week, the contractors and agencies held steady, thanks in part to the CARES Act and the power of contract work. In some ways, the nature of contract work will keep on insulating candidates from layoffs, but what does happen is that employees are a lot more likely to stay in national security when the rest of the world becomes unraveled. The power of a steady job becomes a lot more lucrative than trading in the security clearance for the chance to gain more flexibility and high pay that could come with a side of layoff talk. So, while candidates can be competitive against other security clearance holders, the option to jump over to industry isn’t as appealing when layoff chatter is buzzing.
Layoffs
Arete IR
Florida-based cyber incident company, Arete IR, confirmed layoffs in the works for them. Their company handles ransomware cases, but said that the current economic conditions have made it necessary for them to layoff an unspecified number of workers. Layoffs Tracker though has reported 25% of their workforce – or about 90 people, based on a tip from a former Arete employee. Cybersecurity may give the feeling of unlimited potential, but limited budgets are also a reality.
Hiring
Kratos
Another California-contractor adds an east coast facility – this time in the south. Birmingham, AL is getting an influx of job opportunities with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions adding 76 jobs and investing approximately $8.6 million in its facility over the next five years.
This past May, Kratos acquired the engineering division of Southern Research, now called Kratos SRE, under the Defense & Rocket Support Services Division. About 140 engineers, technicians, and program support professionals are employed by SRE, supporting the space community, DoD, and other national security customers. The investment from Kratos over the next five years will grow their presence even more in the expanding Alabama footprint.
Cleared Employer at Work: Leidos
Growth is only possible when there have been successful leaders at the helm over the years, and Leidos continues to have leaders that put the organization on the trajectory of growth and success. Ready to join?
