BAE Systems could lay off 4,000 under sequestration
If a federal sequestration occurs, BAE Systems estimates a loss of 10 percent of its U.S. workforce, said Randy Coble, spokesman for the defense contractor's York County operations.
That's about 4,000 eliminated jobs, he added.
The sequester - a $1.2 trillion reduction in federal spending over the next 10 years - could start Friday if Congress doesn't approve another plan to reduce the national budget.
Those cuts could include about $43 billion this year slashed from the U.S. Department of Defense budget.
"At BAE Systems, we have long anticipated the budget pressures and spent much of the last two years aggressively restructuring our business to reduce costs, while becoming more agile and responsive in meeting our customers' shifting needs," Coble said.
Earlier this month, the West Manchester Township plant with 1,250 workers announced a layoff of 175, citing the "changing economic environment" and defense spending cuts.
The 175 layoffs are not part of the cuts that would be made with the sequestration.
On the site, the company manufactures and refurbishes armored vehicles for the military, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the Medium Mine Protected Vehicle.
"The Budget Control Act's ambiguity about how the cuts from sequestration would be applied has already made it virtually impossible to plan near and long-term business decisions," Coble said. "If sequestration occurs, it will have a harmful impact on BAE Systems."
