Boeing to lay off 150 at KSC

The Boeing Company today announced it will lay off 150 of its 515 Kennedy Space Center workers on Aug. 5, providing the last shuttle mission, scheduled for July 8, is complete. The layoffs could come later if the shuttle launch is delayed.

Nationwide, 510 Boeing employees were issued layoff notices. Some 260 employees in Houston and 100 in Huntington Beach, Calif., also received notices.

In addition, Boeing had previously announced about 35 layoffs on May 20 in the Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services division. Additional reductions in force will continue throughout the summer.

Laid off employees will receive benefits, career transition services and will be encouraged to apply for jobs at other Boeing facilities. In 2009, Boeing employed about 850 workers in Brevard County. About 75 have gone to Charleston, S.C., to work in an aircraft manufacturing plant and about 130 have transferred to other jobs within the company.