OCTOBER 11, 2024 — 10% OR 17,000 EMPLOYEES
In the middle of an employee strike, Boeing has announced its intention to lay off 10% of its workforce, approximately 17,000 employees, in the coming months, end production of its Everett, Washington-built 767 freighter in 2027 after it completes current orders for 29 jets, and delay the rollout of its new 777X to 2026.
Newly appointed Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg noted, “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together. We need to be clear-eyed about the work we face and realistic about the time it will take to achieve key milestones on the path to recovery.”
“The company had to reset our workforce levels to align with our financial reality. We also need to focus our resources on performing and innovating in the areas that are core to who we are rather than spreading ourselves across too many efforts that can often result in underperformance and underinvestment.
“As we move through this process, we will maintain our steadfast focus on safety, quality, and delivering for our customers. We know these decisions will cause difficulty for you, your families, and our team, and I sincerely wish we could avoid taking them. However, the state of our business and our future recovery require tough actions.”
JULY 2, 2024 — BOEING AGREES TO ACQUIRE SPIRIT FOR $4.7 BILLION
A Boeing statement noted, “Bringing Spirit in-house will 'fully align the companies’ production systems and workforces.”
Look for restructuring and personnel realignments in the coming months.
MAY 13, 2024 — BOEING WARNS OF LAYING OFF HUNDREDS OF ENGINEERS
Following a previous announcement of an involuntary reduction of 245 employees scheduled for May 19, 2024, the company has announced that it will lay off hundreds of engineers starting on June 23, 2024.
John Hamilton, vice president of engineering at Boeing Commercial Airplanes commented, "We are moving forward with a second phase of involuntary layoffs for some select skills in Washington state and other enterprise locations. We anticipate this will impact hundreds of engineering employees. Additional reductions in engineering later this year will be driven by our business environment and the amount of voluntary attrition."
"In an ongoing effort to increase overall competitiveness and invest in our future, we are reducing costs and matching employment levels to business and market requirements.”
FEBRUARY 7, 2023 — 2,000 OFFICE JOBS TARGETED IN FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES
The company has announced that it will de-emphasize expenditures in finance and human resources in 2023 and focus on engineering and manufacturing. The company will cut approximately 2,000 jobs in finance and human resources.
According to a company spokesperson, certain jobs will be outsourced to Tata Consultancy Services of India. “As always, we will support affected teammates and provide assistance and resources to support their transition."
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 — BOEING TO OUTSOURCE JOBS TO INDIA
Boeing announced that the company will begin outsourcing finance and accounting jobs to Tata Consultancy Services of India. Approximately 150 jobs nationwide will be cut in the first batch of layoffs, with more to come next year and thereafter. The first layoff notices will go out in October 2022.
According to a company statement, “The Finance team is planning for lower staffing levels as it simplifies processes, improves efficiency, and shares select work with an outside partner. The company will assess future impacts as the process continues in the coming years.”
“We’re trying to strike a balance, being as transparent as we can without getting ahead of the work that we still have to do. We’ve been frank with employees that we do expect lower staffing levels within finance. As soon as we know the details, we’ll share those.”
It appears that Boeing will continue to outsource non-core functions for the foreseeable future.
MAY 6, 2022 — BOING TO MOVE GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS OUT OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, TO ARLINGTON VIRGINIA
The company has announced it will be relocating its global headquarters out of Chicago to its campus in Arlington, Virginia, where it will create a new research and technology hub nearby. The move is designed to place company executives closer to government decision-makers and regulatory agencies.
While the company claimed the move will not lead to major job cuts in Chicago, one never knows.
FEBRUARY 7, 2021 — 600 IT EMPLOYEE POSITIONS OUTSOURCED, MORE LAYOFFS COMING.
The company has announced a reduction in force of 600 IT workers commencing in April. The layoffs will affect database management, cloud services, and routine IT operations.
Boeing’s major operations hubs in Seattle, Washington, St. Louis, Missouri, and Charleston, South Carolina appear to be targeted.
The company acknowledged 20,000 layoffs in 2020 with another 11,000 planned for 2021.
According to a company spokesperson, the move to outsource IP operations will “increase the company’s efficiency, simplify operations and advance our digital transformation.”
OCTOBER 29, 2020 — ANOTHER 7,000 EMPLOYEES TARGETED
The company has announced that it was expanding its original reduction in force by 19,000 jobs, using a combination of voluntary and involuntary layoffs, to target an additional 7,000 employees to reduce the workforce to 130,000 jobs by the end of the year. Jobs left empty through natural attrition will not be filled.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 — THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD AS BOEING ENCOUNTERS “QUALITY” HEADWINDS
It appears that the company has self-reported aircraft components “that failed to meet its own design and manufacturing standards.” While any defects do not appear to pose immediate safety risks, further doubt is raised in the minds of travelers, employees, and investors.
JULY 29, 2020 — CONSOLIDATION AND RESTRUCTURING BEING CONSIDERED. 10,000 JOBS LIKELY TO BE LOST.
The company has announced plans to restructure and consolidate operations. This will most likely affect any ramp-uo for the 737 MAX in Renton, Washington and cut back production in Everett, Washington. Also under consideration is the consolidation of the 787 assembly in a single location said to be
Boeing said Wednesday that due to the collapse in demand for airliners, it will slow down the planned ramp-up of 737 MAX production in Renton, cut widebody jet production rates in Everett and study consolidating 787 Dreamliner assembly in a single location — possibly in North Charleston, South Carolina.
This portends additional job cut, especially in Everett, Washington. The company previously suggested that Boeing would reduce its headcount by 10,500 in Waashington State. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told financial analysts that “More hard decisions are likely ahead of us.
JULY 14, 2020 — 747 PRODUCTION SUNSET PLANNED
Reuters News Service has published a story headlines, "Boeing Quietly Pulls Plug on the 747, Closing Era of Jumbo Jets."
According to the published report, "Boeing Co. hasn’t told employees, but the company is pulling the plug on its hulking 747 jumbo jet, ending a half-century run for the twin-aisle pioneer."
"The last 747-8 will roll out of a Seattle-area factory in about two years, a decision that hasn’t been reported but can be teased out from subtle wording changes in financial statements, people familiar with the matter said."
“'At a build rate of half an airplane per month, the 747-8 program has more than two years of production ahead of it in order to fulfill our current customer commitments. We will continue to make the right decisions to keep the production line healthy and meet customer needs,' Boeing said for this story."
