Boeing Nears 2,200 Layoffs in Washington State

Boeing has reported to the Washington Employment Security Department that it has laid off a total of 2,199 workers in the state as part of an overall plan to cut 17,000 jobs company-wide. According to the Seattle Times, the planned layoffs will affect workers at Boeing facilities across the country, from Washington to Missouri, and from Arizona to South Carolina. The layoffs will likely impact employees in Boeing's three divisions: commercial airplanes, defense, and global services. Prior to the layoff announcements made last week, Boeing had 66,000 employees in Washington. Among those laid off so far are over 400 members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), Boeing's professional aerospace and space workers union, who received notifications last week. Workers will remain on payroll until mid-January.