4. Restructuring expenses

On December 27, 2017, the Board of the Company approved an international restructuring plan to streamline and optimize the Company's global operations. Beginning in December 2017, GSE has been in the process of consolidating its engineering services and R&D activities to Maryland and ceasing an unprofitable non-core business in the United Kingdom (UK). As a result, the Company closed its offices in Nyköping, Sweden; Chennai, India; and Stockton-on-Tees, UK. These actions are designed to improve Company productivity by eliminating duplicate employee functions, increasing GSE's focus on its core business, improving efficiency and maintaining the full range of engineering capabilities while reducing costs and organizational complexity.

GSE eliminated approximately 40 positions due to these changes, primarily in Europe and India, and will undertake other cost-savings measures. The restructuring plan is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2019. As a result of these efforts, as shown in the table below, GSE expects to record a restructuring charge of approximately $2.2 million in total, primarily related to workforce reductions, contracts termination costs and asset write-offs due to the exit activities. We recorded a restructuring charge of $1.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, and we expect to record the remaining charges, primarily reflecting the office closure costs, in the first quarter of 2019.

In addition to the restructuring costs in the table below, the Company has an estimated $1.6 million of cumulative translation adjustments that will be charged against net income (loss) and an estimated $1.0 million of tax benefits that will be realized upon liquidation of these foreign entities. GSE expects to recognize the remaining restructuring costs, currency translation adjustments and tax benefits by the first quarter of 2019.

The following tables summarize the restructuring costs and restructuring liabilities at December 31, 2018. The amounts to be transferred from cumulative translation adjustments and included in determining net loss for the period, in which the liquidation of these foreign entities are completed (2019), are not included in the table below.

(in thousands)	Total Expected Termination Costs		Termination Costs for the Year		Accumulated Termination Costs		Expected Costs Remaining
Employee termination benefits	$	820	$	355	$	820	$	-
Lease termination costs		700		700		700		-
Assets write-offs		222		-		222		-
Other restructuring costs		419		214		260		159
Total	$	2,161	$	1,269		2,002	$	159

Restructuring Liabilities

(in thousands)	Employee Termination Benefits			Lease Termination Costs			Other Restructuring Costs			Total
Balance as of January 1, 2018	$	465		$	-		$	-		$	465
Accruals		341			668			214			1,223
Payments		(737	)		(635	)		(214	)		(1,586	)
Currency translation adjustments		(17	)		1			-			(16	)
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	52		$	34		$	-		$	86

The restructuring costs related to our Performance Improvement Solutions segment were included in the consolidated statement of operations within the "Restructuring charges" line caption. The accrued employee termination benefits of $52,000 were reflected in the "Accrued compensation" line in the consolidated balance sheets. $1.6 million of restructuring payments have been made as of December 31, 2018. There was no restructuring payment made for the year ended December 31, 2017.