Boeing laying off over 6,700 workers, cites ‘devastating impact’ of pandemic
May 27, 2020, 8:52 AM
Workers meet on the flight line near Boeing 737 MAX factory shortly after company resumed operations, in Renton. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
Boeing has finished its voluntary layoff program, and there were not enough takers to prevent an upcoming round of involuntary cuts.
That will see the company laying off 6,770 U.S. employees in the days ahead, all of whom will be notified of their status soon.
“I wish there were some other way. For those of you who are notified, I want to offer my personal gratitude for the contributions you have made to Boeing, and I wish you and your families the very best,” Boeing CEO David Calhoun said in a written statement addressed to employees.
Impacted workers will receive severance pay, COBRA health care coverage, and career transition services.
The company announced in late-April that it would be trimming 10% of its global workforce, affecting over 10,000 Washington employees.
The market for commercial airplanes dried up this year as the COVID-19 pandemic cut global passenger traffic to a trickle.
“The COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating impact on the airline industry means a deep cut in the number of commercial jets and services our customers will need over the next few years, which in turn means fewer jobs on our lines and in our offices,” Calhoun stated. “We have done our very best to project the needs of our commercial airline customers over the next several years as they begin their path to recovery.”
