Boeing to Let Go of Almost 400 Employees in Washington 

Boeing will cut about 396 jobs in its locations across Washington, the company announced. The cuts would be effective on February 21, 2025. This is in continuation of the previously declared broader move to cut 10% of its overall workforce—approximately 17,000 workers—as it tries to sail through financial and production pressures. 

Impact on Washington Workforce 

The impact has been particularly heavy in Washington, where Boeing has its largest workforce of more than 60,000 workers. The latest layoffs are in addition to more than 2,000 jobs cut in the state this year alone. Workers at facilities in Bremerton, Auburn, Everett, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Kent, Puyallup, Renton, Seattle, and Tukwila are among those being laid off. 

The layoffs will cut across the board, affecting executives, managers, and union and non-union employees. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, or SPEEA, said more than 600 of its members are on the list, while machinists represented by IAM District 751 who work on Boeing's lucrative jet models, would not be laid off. 

Boeing's Financial Struggles 

Financial difficulties for Boeing began with two fatal jet crashes in 2018, then continued to worsen as a result of production setbacks and a costly strike earlier this year that brought manufacturing lines to a standstill for months. That strike is estimated to have cost the company up to $1 billion per month. 

Other issues, such as a recent door plug blowout and continued credit risks, have increased the financial pressure on the company, which already is at risk of having its credit rating downgraded to junk status. 

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Looking Ahead 

Boeing said the layoffs would help it "rightsize" its workforce to "match our financial reality." The company also is taking action to shore up its finances, including a $24.3 billion equity offering it announced in November. 

Yet Boeing is pushing on with the restructuring needed to reach production targets that will get it back on a financially stable footing. The cuts, however, reflect the profound cost these efforts have extracted from Washington, its long-standing manufacturing hub.