Boeing will offer voluntary layoffs to engineering employees at its North Charleston, S.C., complex, reports say.
Boeing plans voluntary layoffs among engineering employees at its North Charleston, S.C., complex, local media reported Thursday.
The Charleston Post and Courier newspaper reported on its website that the offers will go out Thursday to 200 workers at the 787 Dreamliner facility and at Propulsion South Carolina, which makes parts for the 737 MAX.
“We are working hard to meet our business needs and increase our efficiency through a combination of strategies,” the paper quoted Boeing South Carolina general manager Beverly Wyse as telling employees in an email. “As part of these broader efforts, a small portion of our team has been identified to participate in the voluntary layoff program.”
The South Carolina operation plays an increasingly important role in both manufacturing and engineering for Boeing. The cuts would be the first such reduction for the North Charleston complex.
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In the Puget Sound region, Boeing has begun cuts expected to eliminate 4,000 jobs, and at least one unit has targeted a 10 percent cut, according to an internal document obtained by The Seattle Times. Across Boeing’s local workforce, such a cut would amount to 8,000 jobs.
Company officials have said it is under pressure to cut costs to meet stiff competition from Airbus.
This post has been updated to correct the name of the Charleston newspaper.