BOEING TO TRIM 20,000 WORKERS; ASIAN WOES CITED IN MOVE.

Byline: John M. Hubbell Associated Press 

Boeing Co. will cut an additional 20,000 workers over the next two years as the company further scales back production of several commercial jet lines due largely to slackening demand because of the Asian economic crisis.

The new cuts will bring the total reductions in Boeing's work force to 48,000 jobs, or a 20 percent drop from the high level of 238,000 reached in June of this year. In July, the company announced that it would trim 28,000 jobs.

``Clearly, the economic slowdown in Asia is driving air traffic down which impacts our customers' plans and operations,'' Alan Mulally, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president said Tuesday.

Boeing, which earlier had projected 1999 net earnings at about $2 billion, now is forecasting next year's profits at $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion. It said 1998 profits were expected to be slightly above $1 billion, as earlier forecast.

The size of the new job reductions caught Boeing workers off guard.

``It came as a surprise although I knew more layoffs were coming. But I expected less layoffs,'' said Daniel Smith, a fuel-line plumber on 777 jetliners at Boeing's Everett assembly plant.

``It's affected everyone pretty badly. Everybody's scared they're going to get laid off. Everybody's worried. People aren't spending money. Personally, I'm worried I won't be able to pay for my house. I'm worried I may get a layoff notice myself.''

Boeing has not said where the layoffs will take place.

Boeing presently is rolling out 51 planes a month, said spokesman Larry McCracken. He said that will drop to 47 at the end of next year and 38-1/2 planes a month by the end of 2000.