On June 30, 2020, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said it was laying off 76 employees and eliminating 81 vacant positions as it responded to a projected revenue shortfall. The center said the two actions were intended to address nearly $50 million in expected revenue volatility over the following 12 months.
What Fred Hutch announced on June 30, 2020
Fred Hutch president Dr. Thomas Lynch said in a message to employees, reproduced by GeekWire: “In order to sustain our pursuit of cures for cancer and viral diseases, today we notified 76 employees that they are being laid off. We are also eliminating 81 open positions.”
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The figures describe different things: 76 current employees were laid off, while 81 unfilled jobs were removed. The announcement did not mean 157 employees lost their jobs.
Why the center said it was cutting positions
Fred Hutch attributed the decision to a projected revenue shortfall of nearly $50 million over the next 12 months. In a statement reproduced by GeekWire, the center said the forecast reflected increased volatility in variable revenue sources, including philanthropy and investment income. An employee message also cited Facilities & Administrative revenue from grants.
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This was Fred Hutch’s stated projection and rationale, not a reported realized loss or an independently audited finding. The center said it had taken other cost-saving steps since March before announcing the June staffing actions.
Which jobs were affected
The layoffs and eliminated vacancies were in Fred Hutch’s Administrative Division. The center said the affected roles were not funded by direct grant support. The announcement therefore concerned administrative positions, not a reported round of direct grant-funded research jobs.
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Other cost-saving measures reported
Before the June announcement, Fred Hutch had introduced several measures, according to GeekWire:
- Limits on consultant and vendor spending.
- Restricted hiring.
- Cancellation of salary increases planned for the upcoming fiscal year.
- A 5% reduction in executive salaries.
- Executives waiving variable compensation of up to 20% of their 2020 base salaries.
How the June cuts differ from other workforce actions
March 2020 restructuring
GeekWire separately reported 14 layoffs in March tied to a data-science restructuring. Fred Hutch described that earlier decision as unrelated to the COVID-19 economic fallout, so it should not be folded into the June announcement.
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A May 1, 2025, GeekWire report covered later workforce actions and referred back to the 2020 cuts. Those were separate events, not a continuation of the June 2020 announcement. The 2020 figures are historical and do not describe Fred Hutch’s current workforce or finances.
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