Boeing lays off hundreds of employees in Washington and California as part of previously announced job cuts

SEATTLE – Boeing recently laid off hundreds more employees in Washington state and California as part of its planned workforce reduction, which is expected to cut around 17,000 jobs in total.

Nearly 400 Boeing employees were laid off in Washington state and more than 500 in California, news outlets reported Monday.

The aerospace company had previously announced its intention to reduce its workforce by 10% in the upcoming months in response to financial challenges, regulatory issues, and a prolonged strike by its machinists lasting nearly two months.

CEO Kelly Ortberg has said the strike did not cause the layoffs, which he said was the result of overstaffing.

Starting in November, Boeing began notifying employees about the impending layoffs. Initial reports indicated that approximately 3,500 individuals across the country were affected by the first wave of job cuts, as reported by The Seattle Times.

Those cuts touched people in roles from engineers to recruiters to analysts and impacted Boeing’s commercial, defense and global services divisions.

Boeing has said most laid-off employees remain on payroll for about two months and will receive severance pay, career transition services and subsidized health insurance benefits for up to three months.

“As announced in early October, we are adjusting our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and a more focused set of priorities,” Boeing spokespeople have said about the layoffs.

Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, has been in financial trouble since two crashes of its 737 Max jetliner killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The company’s fortunes and reputation took an additional hit when a panel blew off the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane in January.