Carlsbad, California-based Gemological Institute of America, a nonprofit institute dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts, has announced its intentions to lay off 20% of its headquarters workforce.
The reduction in force will impact 151 employees, 100 of whom work in the GIA lab, including 43 lab associates who specialize in weights and measures, 18 diamond graders, six specialist diamond graders, and four associate diamond graders. Layoffs will commence on September 22, 2023.
According to a spokesperson, “Many organizations in the global gem and jewelry sector are having to make difficult decisions due to the general downturn in economic conditions affecting the global gem trade.”
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?