LOCAL : Hughes to Lay Off 6,000 in Face of Defense Cuts
<i> From Times wire services</i>
Hughes Aircraft Co. will lay off 6,000 workers in the next six months because of anticipated cuts in defense spending, the company announced today.
The cuts, which amount to 8% of the company’s work force of 75,000, will be in all areas of management, engineering and manufacturing, the company said.
Hughes has operations in 12 states, with 6,000 in Tucson and the bulk of its work force in Southern California. The company, which is owned by General Motors Corp., makes air-to-air missiles, radar for fighter jets, satellites and other military gear.
The decision was based on executives’ expectation, widely shared in the defense industry, that defense budgets under the Bush Administration will be smaller than they were in the Ronald Reagan era.
