San Antonio firms cut 240 jobs as federal funding shifts and market consolidations hit

Two San Antonio employers announced plans to cut a combined 240 positions by the end of the year. The terminations stem from a shift in federal contracting for a local nonprofit and a corporate restructuring at a private security firm.

Endeavors, a nonprofit established in 1969, filed a notice with the Texas Workforce Commission on Oct. 29. The organization will lay off 153 employees on Dec. 31. These workers were employed under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agreement funded home study and post-release services for unaccompanied minors. Bruce Knott, the senior director of people operations, stated the organization was notified three weeks prior to the filing that the Administration for Children and Families would not renew the contract.

HHS attributed the change to a drop in the number of unaccompanied children entering the United States. A department statement noted that this decline reduced demand for federally funded care facilities. The agency said it is adjusting contracts to match current levels of need. Endeavors will wind down operations under this specific contract, affecting more than 50 case managers along with aides and supervisors. The company said a small number of staff might receive transfer offers, though none had been extended as of the notice date.

ECAM Technologies, a subsidiary of GardaWorld, filed a separate notice with the TWC on Nov. 3. The company will close its facility located on North Loop 410 and Jonas Maltsberger Road. This action results in the layoff of 89 workers, including on-site and remote staff. The company said most of the affected employees serve as escalation specialists. ECAM did not respond to requests for comment. GardaWorld created ECAM in 2025 by merging Stealth Monitoring with its own ECAMSECURE brand to focus on artificial intelligence-driven surveillance.

Both companies are subject to the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers with 100 or more full-time employees to provide advance notice of mass layoffs. The cuts arrive as local labor market data shows recent volatility. The unemployment rate in San Antonio peaked at 4.8% in June, the highest level since 2021. It fell to 4.3% in September, the most recent data available.

Endeavors previously secured a separate contract worth more than $500 million in 2021 to open a facility for unaccompanied undocumented children. That agreement was canceled in early 2025 following scrutiny by the Department of Government Efficiency. It was distinct from the contract now ending. GardaWorld also holds a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate a facility in San Antonio, a deal that became the subject of a lawsuit filed by the city in October.