ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Los Alamos National Laboratory Tuesday unveiled plans to shed as many as 800 workers, or nearly 10 percent of its regular, permanent workforce.
Lab Director Charlie McMillan announced plans to offer voluntary buyouts during a meeting Tuesday afternoon with lab workers, citing a $300 million budget cut this year and prospects for continued reductions down the road.
He says the lab wants to make the voluntary cuts now to reduce the risk of involuntary layoffs.
The lab said it has submitted a plan to the National Nuclear Security Administration proposing to reduce its workforce this spring by 400 to 800 of its 7,585 regular full-time employees. A lab spokesman said another 3,000-plus contractors, students and other lab workers would not be affected -- "at this time."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.