Bezos’ Blue Origin to Layoff About 10 Percent Across Its Space, Launch Business

Blue Origin signage is displayed on a screen before the launch of billionaire American businessman Jeff Bezos and his three crewmates on Blue Origin's inaugural flight to the edge of space, in Times Square in New York City, U.S., July 20, 2021. Jeenah Moon/Reuters

WASHINGTON—The CEO of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin announced in an all-hands call on Thursday company-wide layoffs of “about 10 percent” of its employees, a sweeping readjustment as it aims to cut costs and ramp up rocket launches.

The layoffs affect roughly 1,400 of the company’s nearly 14,000 employees - mostly concentrated in Florida, Texas and Washington - and comes as Blue Origin starts production of its giant New Glenn rocket, which had its first long-awaited debut launch last month.