The operator of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory laid off 68 employees effective Nov. 18, saying “unforeseen business circumstances” meant it wasn’t able to provide 60-days’ notice. 

More than 40 employees receiving notice are based at PNNL’s Richland campus, according to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notice sent to the state’s Employment Security Department by Battelle, which operates the lab on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. 

About 25 others work at PNNL sites in Seattle, Oregon or remotely. 

“As a result of funding uncertainties and evolving federal mission priorities, Battelle made great effort to avoid layoffs by reassigning work, reducing work hours and retaining staff on furlough status in the hope that additional funding would be realized,” according to the Battelle letter. “However, Battelle determined it is necessary to restructure our workforce and reduce staff in both research and operations.” 

Affected positions range from those working in IT, software, mechanical and nuclear engineering, as well as roles connected to national security, cybersecurity research, chemistry, earth science and administration. 

“We hate to see these high-value jobs disappear in the Tri-Cities and beyond,” according to a statement from Friends of PNNL, a grassroots group that has formed to support the lab amid recent cutbacks. “These losses hurt families and slow down our nation’s progress in energy, national security, and other crucial areas.”

The layoffs are in addition to furloughs and hundreds of staff cut via voluntary and involuntary layoffs since August.  

PNNL began bracing for reductions in early June after the White House’s proposed federal budget included billions of dollars in cuts to three DOE programs with a large presence at the lab. 

The lab is the largest employer in the Tri-Cities.

Congress has yet to approve a 2026 fiscal year budget for DOE and other federal agencies. A continuing resolution is currently funding the federal government through Jan. 30.

“It’s encouraging that some federal lawmakers are considering moving unused funds into Department of Energy programs for FY26,” the Friends of PNNL said in a statement. “But we still expect cuts to research, especially in renewable energy and climate science. We’ve heard that some PNNL projects may even run out of money by January, which could lead to more layoffs.”

Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently visited PNNL to commission the Anaerobic Microbial Phenotyping Platform at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory. The platform is part of DOE’s Genesis Mission, an initiative aimed at using artificial intelligence, or AI, to drive innovation and scientific progress.

12/08/25: This story was updated to include comments from Friends of PNNL and updated information about the federal budget.