Boeing to further assess workforce size amid Covid-19 pandemic

FILE: In 2012, Boeing announced it would close its facility in Wichita, Kansas (pictured). (Photo By mhowry/Matt Howry – IMG_3266, CC BY 2.0)

SAN FRANCISCO – Boeing will further assess the size of its workforce amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the company’s president and chief executive officer Dave Calhoun said on Wednesday.

The market simply won’t support higher output levels at this time, and the company needs to adapt accordingly, Calhoun wrote in a letter to employees.

Boeing previously announced a net 10-percent workforce reduction in 2020 through a combination of voluntary layoffs, attrition and involuntary layoffs (ILOs) to align to a smaller market.

According to Calhoun, the first wave of associates affected by ILOs received notification in May, and the company continues to conduct smaller, phased workforce reductions to reach the target.

“Managers are communicating the latest wave of those reductions beginning today,” he said.

“Regretfully, the prolonged impact of Covid-19 causing further reductions in our production rates and lower demand for commercial services means we’ll have to further assess the size of our workforce,” Calhoun added. “This is difficult news, and I know it adds uncertainty during an already challenging time. We will try to limit the impact on our people as much as possible going forward.”

Boeing Company on Wednesday reported second-quarter revenue of USD11.8 billion, GAAP loss per share of USD4.20, and operating cash flow of USD5.3 billion, primarily reflecting the impacts of Covid-19 and the 737 MAX grounding.

In Commercial Airplanes Programs, Boeing delivered a total of 20 aircraft in the second quarter of 2020.

The delivery included two 777Fs to China Southern Airlines in May. The backlog included over 4,500 airplanes valued at USD326 billion. (Xinhua)