Labor market
Biopharmas are less focused on local job candidates and are more open to recruiting regardless of location, according to the new BioSpace employment outlook report. Even employers who prefer to hire locally would consider remote hires for some roles.
More biopharma organizations were actively recruiting at the end of 2025 than 2024, based on the new BioSpace employment outlook report. Areas in demand this year include research and development and clinical. Organizations are also prioritizing artificial intelligence hires.
BioSpace’s 2026 U.S. Life Sciences Employment Outlook examines the state of the biopharma workforce amid ongoing funding pressure, elevated layoffs and cautious hiring sentiment, while highlighting early signals of stabilization and cautious optimism for the year ahead.
Competition for biotech and pharma employment picked up year over year and remains strong, according to BioSpace data. A survey late last year showed that 64% of employed/contract and 96% of unemployed respondents will actively look for work in 2026.
BioSpace’s 2025 Q4 U.S. Life Sciences Job Market update highlights early signs of stabilization in biopharma hiring, with modest gains in job postings, slowing layoffs, and cautiously improving sentiment heading into 2026.
In 2025, made or projected biopharma workforce cuts affected about 42,700 employees, according to BioSpace tallies. BioSpace takes a deep dive into which companies and locations were impacted and speaks to experts about what to expect ahead—and why.
For the second month in a row, job postings on BioSpace increased in key biopharma disciplines. However, application rates also increased.
Biopharma professionals will probably find decreasing employment opportunities this month and next even as layoffs continue, based on BioSpace data. However, hundreds of open roles are expected this year in Massachusetts, and a job market turnaround could start late next year.
In this episode presented by Slone Partners, Leslie Loveless, Co-CEO and Managing Partner discusses how hiring and the building of executive teams has responded to the current biotech environment.
Nearly two dozen life sciences companies that were awarded Massachusetts tax incentives to create and retain about 1,000 combined jobs hit just 13% of that target in 2024. Ten awardees had reported layoffs last year, including Charles River Laboratories and Moderna.
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