Boeing said furloughs began on Friday for thousands of employees in Washington State and Oregon, after more than 32,000 workers went on strike last week, halting production of the U.S. planemaker's best-selling 737 MAX and other jets.

Nonunion employees will experience one-week furloughs every four weeks as the troubled planemaker struggles to conserve cash.

Boeing said furloughs began on Friday for thousands of employees in Washington State and Oregon, after more than 32,000 workers went on strike last week, halting production of the U.S. planemaker's best-selling 737 MAX and other jets.

Boeing employees still working received a notice on the furloughs Wednesday, which noted that it will encompass tens of thousands of nonunion employees for the duration of strike.

Boeing said Wednesday it would start temporary furloughs of professional and white-collar staff as it seeks to conserve cash amid a labor strike that has shuttered Seattle manufacturing plants.

Boeing said on Wednesday it will temporarily furlough tens of thousands of employees after about 30,000 machinists went on strike on Friday, halting production of its 737 MAX and other airplanes. "We are initiating temporary furloughs over the coming days that will impact a large number of US-based executives,

Boeing top executive said Sept. 18 that the company will begin furloughing "a large number" of workers to conserve cash during the strike by union machinists that began last week. CEO Kelly Ortberg said the employees who would be required to take time off without pay starting in the coming days include executives,