Boeing Co., which embarked on a long-range cost-cutting program in response to a sharp drop in aircraft orders last year, employs more than 1,160 fewer workers in South Carolina than before the COVID- pandemic. 19 devastated the aviation industry.
According to an updated annual count this week, the aircraft maker said it had 5,706 workers on its Palmetto State payroll on January 1. That’s compared to 6,869 in early 2020.
The reduction of 1,163 jobs represents a decline of about 17 percent for Boeing South Carolina, which builds its widebody 787 Dreamliner and provides support for other aircraft programs from various locations in North Charleston.
The recently reported cuts topple Boeing among the largest private sector employers in Charleston County. Roper St. Francis Healthcare, which was runner-up, is now the largest, with 6,043 employees, according to an updated count provided Wednesday.
Throughout the company, Boeing has cut more than 20,000 jobs since last January, and more cuts are coming. The company said during its autumn earnings report that it would shrink to around 130,000 employees by the end of this year, from 141,000 now.
Boeing provides annual reporting on its payroll statistics, by state and business category, during the first quarter of each year. The 2021 update was the first look at how the reductions induced by the pandemic have affected the workforce of Palmetto State.
The state of Washington, which by far is Boeing’s largest job center, has dropped to about 57,000 jobs, a reduction of about 21%.
Most of the losses came from the commercial aircraft division, which was hampered not only by the pandemic, but also by the long stranding of the 737 Max that US regulators authorized to fly again in November. About 34,600 workers were counted as part of that unit last month, down from more than 64,500 in early 2020.
Boeing is about to move the entire 787 assembly to South Carolina next month and end production of the Dreamliner in Everett, Washington. The move should not result in any short-term job gain for the North Charleston facility.
At the time of consolidation, Boeing plans to produce five 787s a month – or two less than what the local plant was doing when it was sharing the work with Everett at the peak of 14 a month.
In addition to its main Dreamliner unit near Charleston International Airport, Boeing South Carolina has employees on a separate campus in North Charleston. It includes an engineering and research center and factories that manufacture parts for the 787 and 737 Max.