The CEO of one of the world’s leading development contractors told staff members Friday that he expects sector-wide job losses of between 2,000 and 3,000 development professionals in Washington, D.C., by next week, as the fallout from the U.S. foreign aid freeze continues.
Speaking to Asia-Pacific staff on Friday, Torge Gerlach, CEO of DT Global, said: “Many of our competitors, most of our competitors — and I know this because I've met with their CEOs individually and collectively to share thoughts and approaches — are literally furloughing (leave without pay), or retrenching, 80%, 85% of their staff. We anticipate the impact in the Washington, D.C., area to be 2,000 to 3,000 development professionals … losing their jobs this weekend and next week. It is significant.”
Gerlach said he and the CEOs of other development contractors may head to Capitol Hill as early as Friday, seeking meetings with members of the U.S. Congress and the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee.
About the author
Vince Chadwickvchadw
Vince Chadwick is a contributing reporter at Devex. A law graduate from Melbourne, Australia, he was social affairs reporter for The Age newspaper, before covering breaking news, the arts, and public policy across Europe, including as a reporter and editor at POLITICO Europe. He was long-listed for International Journalist of the Year at the 2023 One World Media Awards.
