USC lays off program staff across schools amid structural deficit

The University of Southern California implemented multiple rounds of layoffs beginning in May 2024 as part of efforts to rectify a reported structural deficit. USC laid off 85 workers at the Keck School of Medicine in May 2024 and, according to compiled California WARN letters, has laid off at least 1,198 people since May 2024, affecting most schools including Keck, Viterbi and Dornsife. University officials and analysts dispute whether cuts targeted management costs that drove the deficit; USC says it reduced administrative unit headcount by more than 100 positions and cites structural financial pressures, inflation, and health system accounting changes. The article frames the reductions as painful but necessary steps taken by USC’s administration while questioning the decision to cut core program staff rather than management roles.

University of Southern California cut 1,198 jobs.

That is roughly 3% of the 40,000 people University of Southern California employs.

LayoffTalk has tracked 45 layoff events at University of Southern California since July 2023, including 1,130 jobs documented in official WARN filings, with 31 additional events known from news reporting.