Boeing lays off hundreds of jobs in Washington, California as part of previously announced layoffs

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing Co. has laid off hundreds of additional workers in Washington state and California as part of a layoff plan that will ultimately reduce the company’s workforce by about 17,000.

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

The aerospace giant previously announced it would cut 10% of its workforce over the next few months as it attempts to recover from financial and regulatory issues and a machinists’ strike that lasted nearly two months.

Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said the strike did not result in layoffs, which he said were the result of overstaffing.

In November, the company began notifying workers who would be laid off. The first round of layoffs affected about 3,500 people nationwide, according to notices filed with state employment agencies, The Seattle Times reported.

The layoffs range from engineers to recruiters to analysts and affect Boeing’s commercial, defense and global services divisions.

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

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

Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing has been in financial trouble since two crashes of its 737 Max jetliners in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Panels were blown out, and the company’s fortunes and reputation suffered a further blow.