After Dismantling DEI, Boeing Plans To Cut 17,000 Jobs

Boeing recently dismantled its global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) department as part of an operational overhaul ordered by its new CEO, Kelly Ortberg. Staff from the DEI office will be integrated into a human resources team focused on talent and employee experience. The decision follows criticism from tech mogul Elon Musk, who condemned Boeing for prioritizing DEI over safety after a serious incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight. The company is recently faced a labor strike involving 33,000 workers demanding better wages and benefits, and has announced lay offs of over 2,500 workers as part of a strategy to reduce its workforce by 17,000 jobs.

In this gallery, we take a deeper look into Boeing’s troubles.

Boeing Vice President Sara Liang Bowen stated, “The team achieved so much — sometimes imperfectly, never easily — and dreamed of doing much more still.”

Bowen wrote, “It has been the privilege of my lifetime to lead Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Boeing company these past 5+ years. Our team strived every day to support the evolving brilliance and creativity of our workforce.”

Musk stated that DEI goals have been used as incentives for executive compensation, which he argued compromised safety. Musk said, “Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritized DEI hiring over your safety? That is actually happening.”

Musk wrote, “People will die due to DEI,” citing a news article on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which had to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a chunk of the plane blew off at about 16,000 feet, leaving a gaping hole in the plane.

Robby Starbuck, a conservative influencer, claimed credit for pressuring Boeing to eliminate its DEI initiatives. He reached out to the company’s leadership, threatening a campaign against their policies, which he believed reflected a broader shift in corporate America.

Starbuck wrote, “Our campaigns are so effective that we’re getting some of the biggest corporations on earth to change their policies without me even posting a video first just from the fear they have of being the next company we expose.”

The company said, “Boeing remains committed to recruiting and retaining top talent and creating an inclusive work environment where every teammate around the world can perform at their best while supporting the company’s mission.”

Nearly 2,200 employees in Washington and around 220 in South Carolina will be affected by recent layoffs, with workers remaining on payroll until January 17 to meet federal requirements.

Following the announcement, Boeing’s shares rose by 2.6%, closing at $143.87, revealing investor confidence despite the job cuts.

Ortberg stated in October that the company would not remove personnel from production or engineering, raising concerns about the impact on key sectors.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace reported that 438 members received layoff notices, including 218 engineers and 220 technicians.