Pratt & Whitney Lays Off 350

Pratt & Whitney laid off some 350 U.S.-based salaried employees yesterday in another sign of a projected slump next year in the civil air transport and military aircraft markets. Some 260 people lost their jobs at the company’s main operations in and around East Hartford, Conn. The remaining layoffs affect employees in 12 other states around the country. None of the layoffs involved union-represented workers, according to a company spokesman. “The reductions are a result of the impact of the current global economic conditions on the aerospace industry,” Pratt & Whitney said in a statement. “This step, although a difficult one, must be taken to ensure our cost structure is competitive during these challenging times and that we are able to invest in our future. To help those employees selected for reduction we will provide severance pay, continuation of group insurance benefits, outplacement assistance and continued access to the UTC Employee Scholar Program.” Pratt & Whitney employs more than 38,000 people worldwide.