The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office laid off employees on Wednesday as part of a reduction-in-force plan that has been in development for months, according to multiple sources and internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg Law.
The Alexandria-based agency cut positions across several departments, including the communications team, the Office of Public Engagement, and the Patents Unit, according to Bloomberg Law. The layoffs occur as the federal government shut down on Wednesday due to a funding impasse in Congress, although the USPTO remains open and operational, funded by operating reserves from fee collections.
