NoVa govcon firm Mitre to lay off 442 employees after DOGE cuts contracts

Federal contracting firm Mitre, which has dual headquarters in McLean and Massachusetts, expects to lay off 442 people in Virginia in two months. The cuts come after the Trump administration has announced more than $28 million in canceled contracts for the company.

Mitre notified the state Wednesday of 442 job cuts in McLean, in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. According to the notice, the layoffs will take place by June 3.

Founded in 1958, the not-for-profit company manages federally funded research and development centers, including the National Security Engineering Center, which delivers research, engineering and analytical solutions to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.

“Mitre has made the difficult decision to undertake a reduction in force for a small percentage of our workforce,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “We continuously assess our costs, value and technical capabilities to ensure we are best positioned to deliver exceptional mission impact to the U.S. government.  These actions will ensure Mitre is effectively aligned with present and future challenges related to the health, safety, and security of the nation. Our greatest asset is our remarkable people, and any decision that impacts them is taken with great care and consideration.”

Launched by President Donald Trump, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed to have cut $28.5 million in federal contracts awarded to Mitre as cost-cutting measures, according to G2Xchange, a company that tracks federal contracts.

The 11 terminated contracts are from the National Institutes of Health, the IRS, the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security’s procurement operations office, according to G2X. All of the contracts were canceled in late January through March 24.

Multiple news reports in recent weeks have pointed out numerous mistakes in data released by the DOGE team, however. A New York Times analysis found the information is filled with accounting errors, outdated data and other miscalculations.

Mitre has more than 60 sites worldwide, employing 10,000 workers. Mitre’s 200-plus labs develop innovations in applied science and technologies in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing to maritime and aviation safety.