Pfizer to lay off 62 in Tampa

Global pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer is cutting 62 jobs at its Pfizer Connect facility in downtown Tampa.

The company announced the cuts Dec. 20 in a letter to the state to meet federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification requirements.

According to the letter, which refers to the layoffs as “colleague separation activity,” the cuts are permanent and expected to begin Feb. 24. “A few,” the note states, will happen between April 7 and June 2.

A list of what positions were being cut was referenced in the letter but not available on the state’s WARN database Friday afternoon.

A Pfizer spokesperson wrote in a statement that the company regularly evaluates its operations and that it has been cutting costs, which has led to layoffs in its commercial operations in the U.S.

"Pfizer does not take these changes lightly. All job-related decisions have and will be made with transparency, compassion, and respect, and in compliance with applicable laws," the spokesperson writes, adding that employees losing their jobs have been offered a "generous separation package" and will have opportunities to find jobs within the company.

BioSpace, a publication focused on the life science business, published a story earlier this week about the five biggest layoffs in the biopharma industry in 2024. Pfizer was No. 5 on the list.

"Pfizer’s estimated layoffs could total about 1,300 employees and include cuts tied to a 'cost-realignment' program launched in October 2023," BioSpace writes.

“That program was designed to generate $3.5 billion in savings through 2024, helping to offset a steep decline in the company’s COVID-19 product sales.”

The employees being cut work in the city’s Heights Union development, where in 2021 the company announced it was consolidating finance, human resources, digital services and sourcing into a centralized hub occupying more than 100,000 square feet of office space.

In October, Pfizer reported its revenue increased 32% to $17.7 billion during the third quarter of this year when compared with last year.