U.S. aerospace giant Boeing said Friday it will cut off about 4,500 jobs in its commercial airplanes business unit as part of an effort to control costs amid the weakening global economy.

Much of the major layoff will be in areas not directly related to airplane production, the company said.

"We are taking prudent actions to make sure Boeing remains well positioned in today's difficult economic environment," said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a statement.

Boeing said most of the newly announced job cuts are expected to occur in Washington state in the second quarter of 2009. The company currently employs over 76,400 people in the state, the vast majority of them in the commercial airplanes unit.

Meanwhile, Boeing's commercial airplanes unit has also launched a program to reduce overhead costs and discretionary spending.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2009)