Newport News Shipbuilding to Layoff More Than 1,500

The lead ship in the Ford-class , the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), was launched at Newport News Shipbuilding in November 2013. Photo by Chris Oxley

Newport News Shipbuilding could layoff more 1,500 employees by the end of 2016, the company revealed this week.

The layoffs were announced in a letter to employees by Newport News Shipbuilding President, Matt Mulherin, local news reported.

“We find ourselves in a situation today where we will have to make this difficult decision in 2015 and again in 2016,” the letter said.?”We do not yet know the extent of the reductions, but in 2015, it will be more than 500 people. In 2016, it will likely be more than 1,000 people. This will impact both salaried and hourly employees.”

Employees were initially warned of upcoming cost reduction measures earlier this month.

The layoff come amid the shipyard’s completion of work on three carriers over the next 18 months: construction of the Gerald R. Ford, the midlife overhaul of the Abraham Lincoln and the inactivation of the Enterprise, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

Newport News Shipbuilding, part of Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding, is the sole designer, builder and refueler of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy submarines. The company employs more than 23,000 employees, making it the largest industrial employer in Virginia and the largest shipbuilding company in the United States.

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