United Airlines will give its U.S.-based employees nearly $500 million in profit-sharing bonuses, the airline announced this week.
United officials said the $491 million total will result in profit-sharing bonuses that are, on average, 45% higher than a year ago. United is the sixth-largest employer in New Jersey, with nearly 14,000 employees.
Due to numerous factors in determining the amount of the payouts, United officials said it is impossible to determine an average amount.
Jill Kaplan, the airline’s head of the New York/New Jersey region, said the profit-sharing comes despite a challenging year for the airline, including record weather delays and the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.
“Our employees’ dedication and teamwork throughout 2019 helped United reach new heights, and we are excited to reward them with one of our highest profit-sharing payouts in recent years,” Kaplan said.
United officials said the company will continue to execute on its growth strategy while elevating the customer experience. To aid in those efforts, United said it expects to hire 34,000 employees across its system by the end of 2022.
United employees in New Jersey will receive their profit-sharing payout Feb. 26. The $491 million figure represents the largest total payout since 2016.
