Boeing employment levels off, but hiring continues

  • By Michelle Dunlop Herald Writer
  • Wednesday, December 12, 2012 2:03pm
  • Business

Employment at the Boeing Co. in Washington may have peaked in November. But that doesn’t mean the jet maker isn’t continuing to hire.

Boeing employment levels both worldwide and in Washington soared since early 2010 as the company increased jet production and strove to deliver on key development programs, such as the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 jumbo jet.

For the first time since April 2010, the number of Boeing workers in Washington didn’t increase. At the end of November, the aerospace giant employed 86,775 people in the state, down 248 from October.

The topping out of employment was expected. Boeing’s chief financial officer in April predicted that employment would level off at some point this year. The company is balancing a slowdown in the defense market with high demand for commercial jets.

Companywide, Boeing shed 735 workers in November to bring global employment to 175,007. The bulk of losses were in the defense division, which has seen a steady decline in employment over the past two years, even as commercial-airplane employment increased.

Overall, the company is on track to hire between 12,000 and 15,000 people this year, said Stephen Davis, a spokesman for the company.

That’s not a net gain. Thousands of those new employees replace engineers and machinists who are retiring. The company faces a continuing challenge of replacing skilled workers and finding engineering talent.

“We are continuing to hire for critical skills,” Davis said.

Across the nation, fewer CEOs expect a decline in hiring over the next six months, based on a survey released Wednesday by the Business Roundtable. The roundtable consists of CEOs from the 200 largest U.S. corporations. Boeing CEO Jim McNerney serves as chairman of the Business Roundtable.

The CEOs voiced concern over the U.S. budget, which is approaching the “fiscal cliff” at the end of 2012. Automatic budget cuts, including in defense, will go into effect in January if a solution can’t be reached.

About 29 percent of the CEOs plan to increase hiring over the next six months, the same as in September, when the group released the previous quarterly survey. But only 29 percent expect hiring to decrease, versus 34 percent in the previous report.

McNerney said the country’s financial uncertainty was causing pessimism among CEOs.

“We will grow faster next year and the year after if we resolve this thing than we will if we don’t,” McNerney said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.