Boeing, one of the world’s largest aerospace companies, has laid off hundreds of workers in Washington state and California as part of its previously announced plan to cut its workforce by approximately 17,000 jobs, as per Associated Press.

Nearly 400 employees in Washington and over 500 in California were affected by this latest round of layoffs, according to reports on Monday. The aerospace giant had earlier stated it would trim its workforce by 10% in the coming months to address ongoing financial and operational challenges.

‘Result of overstaffing’

The layoffs follow a two-month strike by Boeing machinists, but CEO Kelly Ortberg clarified that the reductions were not related to the strike. “This was a result of overstaffing,” Ortberg said, as quoted by Associated Press.

In November, the company started notifying workers who would be laid off. Notices filed with state employment agencies showed the first round of cuts impacted about 3,500 people around the country, The Seattle Times reported.