Boeing's Workforce Reduction Amidst Financial Turbulence

Boeing has laid off hundreds of employees in Washington and California as part of a plan to cut approximately 17,000 jobs nationwide. The decision stems from financial challenges and regulatory issues following past incidents, rather than a recent machinist strike, according to CEO Kelly Ortberg.

Boeing has initiated significant layoffs, affecting hundreds of employees in Washington state and California, as part of its strategy to reduce its workforce by about 17,000 positions. The cuts are a response to ongoing financial and regulatory difficulties exacerbated by a machinist strike lasting nearly two months.

In a statement, Boeing's CEO Kelly Ortberg clarified that the layoffs were due to overstaffing rather than the recent strike. The layoffs affect a wide range of positions from engineers to recruiters across the company's commercial, defense, and global services divisions.

Despite the layoffs, Boeing is providing severance pay, career transition services, and health insurance benefits for up to three months. The company has faced heightened scrutiny since the 737 Max crashes and a subsequent Alaska Airlines fuselage incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)