2017.07.2400:17:00UTC+00Boeing Trims Workforce at Fastest Pace in Over a Decade

Boeing Co. is trimming its labor force at the fastest pace in over a ten years.

The aerospace company laid off over 6, 000 employees during the first half of 2017, around four percent of its total workforce, via a mix of attrition, buyouts and layoffs, majority of them at its facilities in Washington.

Washington's employment department said Boeing has announced layoff notices to 1,251 of the work staff in the state this year, with the most recent batch of cuts beginning July 21.

Over the last four years, the company has cut its Seattle-based workforce by over 20,000, company records show.

Boeing has stated in the past that it needs to enhance efficiency and depend more on factory automation to build the next generation of aircraft as it processes an order of over 5, 700 air jets.

According to executives, the cost-cutting measures was necessary to remain competitive with its rival Airbus SE, which has claimed over 50 percent of the market for single-aisle workhorse jets in recent years.