Mass Layoffs Hit Southwest Airlines—Is Your Flight at Risk?

Southwest Airlines Just Dropped a Bombshell: 1,750 Corporate Jobs Cut

Well, just as I was writing an article about possible layoffs for El Paso, TX educators in the SISD district, another story popped up talking about layoffs, but not in the education field.

Southwest Airlines just made a major announcement that’s leaving a lot of employees scrambling. According to Kere News, The Dallas-based airline is laying off 15% of its corporate workforce, affecting about 1,750 employees—ouch.

CEO Robert Jordan called it an “extremely difficult decision” (as CEOs tend to do), but said the company needs to be “leaner, efficient, and agile” to better support frontline workers. In plain English? They're cutting costs.

Employees who are getting the boot will still receive salary and benefits until April, plus severance pay and job placement assistance. But that doesn’t soften the blow for those suddenly facing unemployment.

This move comes after Southwest’s financial struggles started making headlines. The airline reported disappointing Q3 earnings, and to make things worse, the U.S. Department of Transportation sued them for allegedly operating repeatedly delayed flights between 2022. The lawsuit claims Southwest didn’t adjust schedules despite knowing flights were consistently late. Yikes.

On top of that, the company recently restructured its board in an attempt to improve financial performance after pressure from Elliott Investment Management. There’s even been talk about CEO Robert Jordan stepping down, though he insists his leadership team has a plan to turn things around.

So, what’s next for Southwest? The airline is rolling out new initiatives—including assigned seating—to boost revenue. But for now, it’s a rough landing for 1,750 employees.

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