GradingAug 07, 2023
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GIA to Lay Off About 20% of Workforce at Carlsbad HQ
The Gemological Institute of America is letting go of 151 people, 100 of whom work in the lab in some capacity.
The Gemological Institute of America is laying off 151 employees at its worldwide headquarters in Carlsbad, California. According to the company’s WARN filing, it notified affected employees of the pending layoffs, which will begin later this month, on July 24.
Carlsbad, California—The Gemological Institute of America is laying off about 20 percent of the workforce at its global headquarters in Carlsbad, California, citing the economic downturn.
According to GIA’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) filing, the company plans to lay off 151 of its approximately 751 employees in Carlsbad beginning Sept. 22.
Of the 151 employees GIA is letting go, 100 work in the lab in some capacity, including 43 lab associates who specialize in weights and measures, 18 diamond graders, six specialist diamond graders, and four associate diamond graders, the filing shows.
GIA is also laying off one senior staff gemologist, three supervisors of pre- and post-grading processes, and one grading supervisor.
On Tuesday, GIA Director of Corporate Communications Stephen Morisseau said the company made the “difficult” decision to reduce staffing due to the “general downturn in economic conditions affecting the global gem and jewelry industry.”
He said the layoffs are not related to the lab’s increased use of artificial intelligence to automate the grading process.
The San Diego Union-Tribune was first to report the story of layoffs at GIA, breaking the news over the holiday weekend.
The report follows less-than-stellar results from the industry’s largest retailer, Signet Jewelers, which saw second-quarter same-store sales fall 12 percent. Signet attributed the decline in part to the ongoing economic pressures its customers face, like inflation and high interest rates, and the decrease in the number of engagements post-COVID.
It also follows news of layoffs at Hodinkee.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that the watch retailer and content creation company cut about two dozen positions, or approximately 20 percent of its staff, amid the drop in prices for pre-owned watches.
According to the story, Hodinkee CEO Jeffery Fowler told Bloomberg via email that the jobs that were cut were considered to be “duplicative, redundant or inefficient” in wake of the company’s 2021 acquisition of pre-owned watch retailer Crown & Caliber.
Hodinkee could not be reached for further comment on the report.
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