Grumman Cutting Staff by 7.4%

Grumman Corp. said Tuesday that it will reduce its work force by 1,900 people, or about 7.4%, because of cuts in defense spending and a need to lower prices.

The company, which builds the Navy’s F-14 Tomcat fighter and A-6 bombers, said 1,200 to 1,300 employees will be laid off in cuts affecting each of its manufacturing groups.

Another 600 to 700 jobs will be eliminated by not replacing workers who retire or quit. The reductions will begin in April and continue throughout the year, the company said.

Grumman employs 25,600 people worldwide.

In a letter to employees, Grumman Chairman Renso Caporali said orders for Grumman aircraft and other products have been reduced or eliminated as a result of Pentagon spending cuts.

He said there are no new orders for the F-14 in the federal budgets for fiscal 1991 or 1992. He noted also that the company has had to scale down its space station program support division.