Boeing plans to cut 2,000 finance, HR jobs despite hiring spree

Boeing plans to trim about 2,000 finance and human resources jobs, part of an initiative to slim its corporate structure while bolstering the manufacturing workforce.

The reductions will take place companywide and will be accomplished through layoffs and attrition, Boeing said in an emailed statement. Potentially affected workers haven’t yet been told if they will lose their jobs.

The Seattle Times, which first reported the planned cuts, said about 1,500 of the affected positions will come from Boeing’s finance staff, with human resources accounting for as many as 400 more. The U.S. plane maker intends to outsource some of that work to Tata Consulting Services in India.

The corporate cuts come amid a broader hiring spree as Boeing works to speed output and resolve snarls that have slowed deliveries of its 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The plane maker plans to bring on 10,000 employees this year, particularly engineers and factory workers, after growing its workforce by 15,000 people last year.

Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun told Bloomberg TV last week that the recruiting drive has included workers from Amazon and Microsoft, which have been slashing jobs. Boeing had 156,000 employees as of Dec. 31.