Hiring & Firing
Two rare disease companies trade R&D for launches
Ultragenyx is cutting about 20% of staff, to roughly 1,000, and Agios is removing more than 100 R&D roles, over 35% of its research headcount. Avidity, now part of Novartis, filed a WARN notice for 40 jobs.
Read the full story →Where the Jobs Are
Bioscience jobs hit 2.31 million, but not in California
US bioscience employment rose 7% from 2021 to 2025 and grew in 41 states. Texas, Florida and Massachusetts led the gains, while California slipped 1.5%.
Read the full story →Postings up 29%, led by Amgen and Regeneron
BioSpace’s top 12 hirers are mostly Big Pharma, with Legend, Syner-G and USP in the mix. October’s US jobs report added 42,000 health care jobs and 33,000 in scientific and technical services.
Read the full story →What’s Working in TA
Source beyond the classic hubs
For lab, quality and testing roles, add Texas, Florida, Ohio and North Carolina to your search. That’s where much of the new bioscience workforce has gone.
Ask about the layoff, don’t screen on it
Brief hiring managers that a restructure on a CV earns one question, not a rejection. Most big cuts are public, so a quick check tells you whether it was about the person or the programme.
Sell scope against the big names
When Amgen and Regeneron are posting heavily, smaller teams win on what big companies can’t offer: wider scope, faster decisions and direct access to leadership. Put that in the first conversation.
Candidate Spotlight
One in five has been laid off more than once
A BioSpace poll found 64% of respondents lost a job in the past five years and 22% at least twice. A GQR recruiter says layoffs are still one of the most common reasons candidates get rejected.
Read the full story →QP’s Take
Year-end cuts, a wider talent map
- Companies with products on the market are moving money from early research into launches. Expect more experienced R&D people available, and steady demand for commercial and market access talent.
- The bioscience workforce is spreading out. Teams that widen their sourcing map beyond Boston and the Bay Area will find more candidates, and often at better cost.
- For 2027 plans: Time R&D hiring for January, when year-end cuts finish, and update screening guidance so a layoff on a CV starts a conversation rather than ends one.
Questions about hiring in your team?
QP’s Talent Network shares what we’re seeing across hundreds of searches a year. Drop us a line.