Economic crisis: Boeing to lay off 4,500 workers

Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, says it will cut more than 4,500 jobs by June.

Doug Alder, spokesman of the company, told Reuters that 4,000 workers in the commercial airplanes division will be affected, while another 550 in a division that conducts flight and lab tests will also be relieved of their duties.

Alder said Boeing will reduce 1,600 positions in the commercial airplanes division through voluntary layoffs, while the rest of the cuts are expected to be completed by leaving open positions unfilled.

“While there is no employment reduction target, the more we can control costs as a whole the less impact there will be to employment,” he said.

“The job cuts, which will include hundreds at executive and managerial positions, will not done through involuntary layoffs.”

Boeing will also cut about 10 percent of the approximately 5,700 jobs in its test and evaluation division, which conducts flight and lab tests, according to Sandra Angers, spokeswoman of the company.

Boeing had a total of 161,400 employees as of December 31.

Last month, Ray Conner, chief executive of Boeing’s airplane business, warned employees that job cuts were necessary to “win in the market, fund our growth and operate as a healthy business.”