Boeing’s Everett workforce impacted by latest rounds of cuts

Boeing 777 passenger planes in various stages of completion sit on one of the assembly lines February 14, 2011 at the company's factory in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear, Getty Images)

Boeing 777 passenger planes in various stages of completion sit on one of the assembly lines February 14, 2011 at the company's factory in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear, Getty Images)

By Bill Kaczaraba

EVERETT, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.

Boeing’s Everett workforce is taking hits as the company cuts costs. According to the Everett Herald, 1,422 workers were let go in two rounds of reductions over the past two months.

According to data submitted by Boeing to the Washington State Employment Security Department, as reported by the Herald, the layoffs represent nearly half of the 2,595 employees affected statewide since mid-December.

The Everett cuts are the largest in the state. The Everett facilities, which have their own fire department, security team, and daycare center, employ over 30,000 workers.

Factory supervisors and white-collar workers, such as engineers, took the brunt of the cuts. According to Boeing’s data, the 33,000 machinists on strike in 2024 kept their jobs.

Boeing CEO announced reductions last year

Late last year, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg announced a 10% reduction in the company’s global workforce. This was part of a strategy to restore profitability after incurring $30 billion in losses since 2018. “As announced in October 2024, we have made workforce-level adjustments to align with our financial reality and a more focused set of priorities,” Boeing spokesman Ted Land told MyNorthwest.

The production of new planes was slowed after two Boeing 737 Max crashes and other safety-related issues were discovered. “As announced in October 2024, we have made workforce level adjustments to align with our financial reality and a more focused set of priorities,” Land said.

Snohomish County’s workforce was more than 300,000 at the end of December. According to economists, the 1,452-worker reduction is not expected to impact overall employment statistics significantly.

Snohomish County’s 3.2% unemployment rate could rise because of federal job cuts by the Trump administration and potential workforce reductions by the State of Washington.

Related from MyNorthwest: Boeing lost billions in fourth quarter alone, more than $35 billion since fatal crashes in 2019

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