This is very concerning. There are a number of possible reasons, loss of personnel due to the fork in the road, layoffs of those with fewer than 2 years of experience, and current and possible expected budget cuts. Not much is known yet about the impact of the proposed 2026 budget.

The negative growth in real GDP for the first quarter of 2025 does not mean we are in a recession. Check out the video below to learn how recessions are called and by who.