Boeing to Cut 5% of Commercial Airplane Workforce as 737 Max Ramp-Up Lags

Boeing plans to reduce its commercial airplane workforce by roughly 5% through a combination of attrition and involuntary layoffs after slower-than-expected production increases left the division overstaffed, according to an internal memo reported Monday by CNBC Business (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/09/boeing-layoffs-commercial-airplane.html).

Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told employees in the note that lowered aircraft output required an adjustment to operating plans. "Adjusting our production schedules and reducing aircraft output puts us in an overstaffed position," Pope wrote. "Unfortunately, that means we need to align our staffing levels to our revised business plan, resulting in a reduction of approximately 5% through a combination of attrition and involuntary layoffs, with notifications beginning in December."

The workforce reduction reflects ongoing operational strains as Boeing works to stabilize assembly lines for its bestselling 737 Max narrow-body jetliners, manufactured at facilities outside Seattle. Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg informed investors last month that Boeing will not significantly raise 737 Max output until the second half of next year, identifying sluggish wing fabrication as a key operational constraint.

Boeing has been attempting to stabilize production at roughly 47 of the 737 Max aircraft per month. Under current company targets, the manufacturer is aiming to reach an output rate of 52 aircraft monthly during the second half of 2027.

With notifications set to roll out in December, the planned reductions signal a disciplined retrenchment across Boeing's primary commercial business unit, aligning factory headcount to a slower pace of industrial recovery.