Space Coast sees first big round of KSC layoffs, Orlando Sentinel
"The first round of what are expected to be thousands of layoffs of space-program workers starts today, Friday, with 258 shuttle contractors losing their jobs in anticipation of the space shuttle's retirement next year. In addition, nine employees of rocket-maker United Launch Alliance also received pink slips Thursday, along with about 70 security workers at Cape Canaveral Air Force station. The 337 layoffs are the first of what local officials estimate will be 7,000 space-program job losses by the end of 2010. The 258 shuttle workers were employed by United Space Alliance, which services the shuttle for NASA, and most volunteered to leave. About 20 more will be leaving next week."


Well, this was expected.
More of interest would be the number of astronauts who are going to stay with NASA in spite of little assurance that there will ever be a government ship for them to fly. It was last week that the crew for the last shuttle flight was announced. Any astronaut not on any of the crew or backup lists must be asking himself/herself some very serious questions at this point.