As Trump Slashes Federal Jobs, Alabama’s ‘Rocket City’ Braces for Impact

In Huntsville, a city fueled by defense and aerospace, there is anxiety but also cautious optimism that federal investment may still come its way.

Over galaxy-themed beers at InnerSpace Brewing in Huntsville, Ala., Stewart Money has heard it all recently from government engineers and contractors winding down after work. They have expressed anxiety about how cuts to the federal work force could affect their own jobs in the city’s aerospace and related industries, and speculated that defense investments under President Trump might spur even more growth there.

“You want to use an analogy, it’s almost like launching a rocket that’s not proven,” said Mr. Money, who owns the brewery. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, but something is going to happen.”

There is no question that Huntsville, home to the Marshall Space Flight Center and a web of related businesses and research programs, has felt some tremors from the administration’s aggressive campaign to shrink the federal work force. The “Fork in the Road” resignation offers landed in email inboxes there, presenting NASA and other government employees with the difficult question of whether to stay in their jobs for now. There were reports of more traffic at the sprawling Redstone Arsenal military base after workers were mandated to be in person.

But Mr. Money’s conversations with customers during Mr. Trump’s first month in office suggest that despite much uncertainty, there is cautious optimism that his actions could help the Rocket City overall.

“The defense budget is probably not going to shrink,” said Jake Griffin, a government contracting consultant there, “so overall, I don’t think we’re going to see a true economic downturn any time soon in Huntsville.”