Local
Boeing to Cut 5% of Commercial Airplane Workforce as Production Delays Mount
Boeing Commercial Airplanes will reduce its workforce by about 5% through attrition and layoffs, with notices starting in December, as slower-than-expected production increases leave the division overstaffed.
SEATTLE â Boeing Commercial Airplanes plans to cut about 5% of its workforce, citing slower-than-expected production increases that have left the division with more employees than it needs, the company's commercial airplanes chief said in a memo to employees.
The reduction will be achieved through attrition and involuntary layoffs, with employee notifications beginning in December, Stephanie Pope said. Boeing has not disclosed how many jobs will be eliminated or which locations will be affected.
The commercial airplanes division employs roughly 50,000 workers, meaning the 5% cut could affect approximately 2,500 positions, though the company has not confirmed a specific number.
"Adjusting our production schedules and reducing aircraft output puts us in an overstaffed position," Pope wrote in the memo.
The cuts come as Boeing gives its factories and suppliers more time to ramp up production of the 737 MAX. The company currently produces about 47 MAX aircraft per month and is targeting a rate of 52 per month in the second half of 2027.
CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors last month that Boeing would not significantly raise MAX production until the second half of 2027, citing slower-than-expected work in its wing production shop. The delays have pushed back the company's plans to increase deliveries of the jet.
The planned reduction follows Boeing's late 2024 move to cut its companywide workforce by about 10%, or roughly 17,000 jobs, after labor strikes and significant financial losses.
Pope said affected employees would receive career transition services, layoff benefits, and support through Boeing's Employee Assistance Program. She said the company had made progress in quality and delivery performance but had "not yet fully recovered."
The job cuts are a fresh blow to workers in the Puget Sound region, where Boeing remains a major employer. The aerospace giant's production decisions ripple through a vast supply chain and local economy that depend on steady aircraft output.
Boeing's latest workforce reduction underscores the company's ongoing struggle to stabilize production and restore confidence after years of quality problems, delivery delays, and financial setbacks. For workers on the factory floor, the December notices will bring uncertainty just as the holiday season begins.