Boeing to Lay Off Over 2,500 U.S. Workers Amid Major Workforce Reduction

Engineers, technicians, and non-union employees among those affected

Layoffs to impact workers in Washington, Oregon, South Carolina, and Missouri

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N) is set to lay off over 2,500 employees across several U.S. states, including Washington, Oregon, South Carolina, and Missouri. This move is part of the aerospace manufacturer's larger plan to eliminate 17,000 jobs globally—approximately 10% of its workforce—according to federally mandated filings and a union representative.

In Washington, nearly 2,200 employees have been issued layoff notices, with an additional 220 impacted in South Carolina, both key sites for Boeing’s commercial aircraft production. Boeing declined to provide comments on the layoffs announced on Monday.

Affected employees were notified last Wednesday, with their employment officially ending on Jan. 17, in compliance with federal laws requiring a 60-day notice period under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. While these layoffs were anticipated, another wave is expected in December. Boeing is also exploring workforce reductions through attrition, selective hiring freezes, and divestitures.

The company's shares rose 2.6% to close at $143.87 on Monday, despite the announcement.

In October, Boeing's CEO, Kelly Ortberg, stated there were no plans to remove employees directly from production or engineering roles. However, layoffs have already reached key areas. Last week, hundreds of engineers and production workers were issued pink slips.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace reported that 438 of its members received layoff notices, including 218 engineers and 220 technicians. Similarly, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 837 in St. Louis confirmed that 111 members, mostly involved in manufacturing 777X wing components, were also notified.

Layoffs appear to vary significantly across departments, with non-union employees also being affected, according to some WARN recipients interviewed by Reuters.