The biopharma job market failed to turn around in May, but employers were still hiring, especially in Indiana and California, based on BioSpace data. The two states had the most job postings live on BioSpace last month, with Indiana showing a 108% year-over-year increase.
Biopharma hiring continued its year-over-year decline while layoffs shot up 49% in May, according to BioSpace data. But even though the job market failed to turn around, employers still looked for talent, especially in Indiana and California—and over 1,000 positions are open across those states as June marches on.
In May, the five states with the most job postings live on the BioSpace website were Indiana (1,225), California (1,102), Massachusetts (884), Illinois (831) and New Jersey (549). Indiana had a 108% year-over-year increase.
In Indiana and Illinois, a single employer drove most of the jobs live in May.
- In Indiana, 80% of the openings were at Eli Lilly. The pharma still has jobs available in the state. The roughly 400 positions include manufacturing operator in Lebanon and clinical data associate in Indianapolis.
- In Illinois, 85% of the jobs live were at AbbVie. The pharma still has open positions in the state. The roughly 250 roles include peptide chemist, principal research scientist I in North Chicago and associate director, next gen and field tools excellence in Mettawa.
A single employer also drove a significant number of May’s jobs live in Massachusetts, New Jersey and California.
- In Massachusetts, 49% of the openings were at Takeda. The pharma still has jobs available in the state. The nearly 275 roles include scientist, biologics expression in Boston and senior manager, dermatology data analytics in Cambridge.
- In New Jersey, Daiichi Sankyo had the most jobs live (23%). The company still has open positions in the state. The around 40 roles include associate director, biostatistics-oncology and associate director, clinical scientist, both in Basking Ridge.
- In California, Amgen had the most openings (21%). The company still has jobs available in the state. The roughly 75 roles include scientific director-oncology research in San Francisco and senior engineer-engineering technical authority in Thousand Oaks.
Other than Indiana, California, Massachusetts, Illinois and New Jersey, only one other state had at least 500 jobs live in May: New York, which now has nearly 400 roles available.
Hiring Activity Continues Decline
Although companies are still hiring, average job postings live on BioSpace continue to decline. In May, they were down 12% year over year. They were also flat month over month, increasing just 0.5% from April.
Hiring activity also slowed in the United States overall last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reported June 6 that the U.S. added 139,000 jobs in May, short of the average monthly gain of 149,000 over the prior 12 months and the 147,000 positions added in April. Also of note: April’s numbers were revised down from 177,000.
Regarding when the biopharma job market will improve, two industry experts said last month that it’s unlikely to turn around this year and noted a need for more investment and regulatory predictability. Doubts about the industry’s health appear to be widespread based on a recent BioSpace LinkedIn poll, which found that 74% of respondents predicted the market won’t improve until 2026 or later.
Layoffs Spike in May
Layoffs have also been a concern for biopharma professionals, and in May, they hit their highest monthly total for 2025—4,919 employees—based on BioSpace tallies. Those tallies exclude contract development and manufacturing organizations, contract research organizations, tools and services businesses and medical device firms.
May’s layoffs were significant not only for their sheer number but also because they represent a 49% year-over-year increase. Also noteworthy: The yet-to-be completed second quarter’s workforce reductions of 6,287 biopharma professionals through last month already top Q1’s cuts (6,044).
Of the 4,919 people who were let go in May, over half (2,893) were let go by Teva Pharmaceuticals. In a statement about the cuts, Teva CEO Richard Francis said, “We’re accelerating innovative growth and strengthening our generics business, while streamlining our operations, sharpening our business and optimizing processes.”
Bristol Myers Squibb let go of the second-most employees, cutting 649 people over two layoff rounds, including 516 people in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The workforce reductions are part of the pharma’s strategic reorganization aimed at saving $3.5 billion through 2027.
While it’s too soon to predict if June’s layoffs will result in a year-over-year increase or decrease, job seekers would likely appreciate the latter, based on a recent BioSpace survey. It found that 56% of employed and 81% of unemployed respondents are considering roles outside of the industry, while 30% of employed and 48% of unemployed participants are seriously considering leaving the U.S. to find biopharma jobs. Concerns about layoffs and the job market were common themes among survey respondents who commented about potentially making such significant moves.
“Biopharma companies seem more volatile in terms of stability in mergers and buyouts,” one participant shared. “The fear of a company dissolution and job loss is a consideration.”
Another commented, “I can’t find a job so far in the US or in biopharma, so soon I have to start looking outside of both.”
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