Financially battered, American museums are increasing layoffs. The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston, one of the largest American museums, announced a new wave of layoffs at the end of January. An internal email informed all 520 employees of a 6.3% reduction in workforce, or more than 30 positions, effective January 30.
This social plan aims to fill a deficit deemed “unsustainable” according to management. This is the second operation of this type in six years at the MFA. Already in August 2020, the museum had eliminated 113 positions (including 57 layoffs and 56 early retirements), reducing staff by around 15%. At the time, the establishment justified the measure by the pandemic and an annual deficit of 12 – 14 million dollars (10 – 12 million euros).
Those responsible for the Boston MFA insist on the urgency of finding a viable economic model while remaining faithful to its cultural mission. The structural deficit continues to weigh despite some signs of recovery. The endowment fund thus reached 830 million dollars (700 million euros). Attendance in 2024 was close to one million visitors, a level however lower than that of 2019 (1.3 million).
The situation at the Boston MFA comes against a backdrop of widespread financial difficulties in the museum sector in the United States. Most major American museums face similar headwinds: post-Covid decline in attendance, inflation of operating costs and withdrawal of public funding.
Many establishments have announced cuts in their staff in recent years. At the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 20 positions (about 7% of the workforce) were eliminated in early 2025. The institution cites falling attendance and rising costs. This is the third wave of layoffs in five years at the Guggenheim. At the Brooklyn Museum, the museum planned in February 2025 to eliminate 40 positions (10% of its staff) to redress a deficit of around 10 million dollars (8 million euros). Management announced salary reductions among executives to share the effort.
Not even open yet, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (Los Angeles) has already reduced its workforce in May 2025, with 15 full-time and 7 part-time employees laid off (14% of employees). These cuts mainly affect public and educational programming, in order to concentrate resources on the upcoming opening. In October 2023, the Dallas Museum of Art had eliminated 20 positions (8% of staff) in the midst of renovation. He had justified these deletions and the Tuesday closure by inflation and subscription revenues and admissions lower than forecasts. The Portland Museum of Art laid off 13 of its employees in February 2024 to deal with post-pandemic financial difficulties. The museum said it had seen its attendance drop by 35% since 2020, due to the economic decline of the district and the lack of tourists.
