US aviation giant Boeing sent out its first layoff notices on Monday as part of a previously announced plan to cut 10 percent of its global workforce.

Boeing plans to cut nearly 2,200 jobs in the US state of Washington, home to many of its oldest factories, according to a statement released Monday.

In the United States, companies are required by law to submit a “WARN” (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) to local authorities sixty days before any layoff.

In its notice, Boeing said it plans to begin permanent layoffs starting Dec. 20. 2,199 people will be affected.

The group is plagued by production quality problems and has just suffered a strike lasting more than 50 days which paralyzed two crucial factories.

On October 12, the company revealed plans to reduce its global workforce by 10% over the coming months, without providing further details.

Boeing employees numbered some 170,000 at the end of last year, including nearly 67,000 in Washington state, where the company was founded and where it produces its best-selling line of 737 planes , as well as the 777, 767 and several military aircraft. planes.

Its plants in Renton and Everett, located near Seattle, were recently blocked by a strike involving more than 33,000 members of the local branch of the International Association of Machinists (IAM), who were negotiating over wages and working conditions .

“As previously announced, we are adjusting our workforce to align with our financial reality and a more targeted set of priorities,” a company spokesperson told AFP.

According to Boeing, most of the employees who received notice of layoffs this week will leave the company in mid-January. Benefits and health insurance will then continue to be paid for up to three months.

The engineers’ union SPEEA (Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace) was informed Thursday evening that 438 of its members would be laid off, according to a spokesperson.

It has more than 19,000 members in the United States, of which approximately 16,500 work for Boeing.