Business Restructuring

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

The Company records restructuring liabilities that represent charges incurred in connection with consolidations of certain operations, including operations from acquisitions, as well as headcount reduction programs. These charges consist primarily of severance costs and asset write-downs.

In December 2016, PPG’s Board of Directors approved a business restructuring program which includes actions necessary to reduce the Company's global cost structure. The program is focused on certain regions and end-use markets where business conditions are the weakest, as well as reductions in production capacity and various global functional and administrative costs. The restructuring actions will result in the net reduction of approximately 2,000 positions, with substantially all actions to be completed in 2018.

In the first quarter of 2018, adjustments of approximately $17 million were recorded to reduce the remaining restructuring reserves established in 2016 to reflect the current estimate of the costs to complete these actions. Also in the first quarter of 2018, some additional restructuring actions were approved and charges of approximately $17 million were recorded.

The following table summarizes the reserve activity for the three months ended March 31, 2018:



($ in millions, except for employees impacted)	Severance and Other Costs			Employees Impacted
December 31, 2017		$102		949
2018 Activity	(17		)	(151	)
Foreign currency	2
March 31, 2018		$87		798