RTI International lays off US workers, including in NC, citing Trump’s USAID cuts
RTI International, a prominent research nonprofit and longtime Research Triangle Park presence, announced “temporary” layoffs Thursday due to federal foreign aid cuts. The move will impact 226 U.S. employees, the organization shared, including 61 in North Carolina.
“The projects our international development staff implements provide essential contributions that support America’s leadership in creating a more prosperous, safe, secure and resilient world,” RTI International CEO Tim Gabel said in a statement.
The “temporary” layoff is being framed as a furlough, though the length of time off work will likely depend on the future of federal foreign assistance.
RTI International receives a portion of its annual revenue from the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has been gutted by the new Trump administration. The agency’s website is currently down, and its own staff’s employment future is in doubt. Despite a court-ordered freeze on grant cuts, multiple media outlets report USAID contractors not receiving funding.
“CLOSE IT DOWN!” President Donald Trump said of USAID last Friday on his social media platform Truth Social.
RTI International did not say what percentage of its total revenue comes from USAID. Its domestic clients include Florida Department of Health, the State of New York and the Texas Education Agency.
In its latest annual report, RTI highlighted several USAID-funded projects, including eliminating tropical diseases in Bangladesh, supporting “climate-smart solutions” in Uganda, and bolstering Ethiopia’s agricultural industry.
The nonprofit said Thursday it “remains dedicated” to facilitating “efficient and effective foreign assistance programs.”
Started in 1958, RTI International was an original anchor tenant in Research Triangle Park. Today, it is the ninth largest employer in Durham County, state commerce data shows.
In 2023, it reported generating $1.2 billion through 3,832 projects worldwide. That same year, it told The News & Observer it had 2,420 employees report to its RTP offices, including teleworkers. Its worldwide workforce had totaled close to 6,000.
RTI is not the only research firm to have been hit by the USAID disruption. Last Friday, the Durham-based global research nonprofit FHI 360 furloughed 36% of its U.S. staff, including more than 200 employees in North Carolina, following the federal cuts.
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 11:15 AM with the headline "RTI International lays off US workers, including in NC, citing Trump’s USAID cuts."
