Aerospace employment growth continues

According to the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), aerospace industry employment continued a positive trend that started last year, adding 11,100 jobs since the end of 2004.

Statistics compiled by AIA's Aerospace Research Center in June after the first two quarters of this year showed total aerospace employment of 618,400. This compares to 607,300 in December 2004.

"It's encouraging to see that last year's employment increases marked the beginning of what is hopefully a long-term trend," said AIA President and CEO John Douglas. "This once again proves how we are an important economic engine for the United States."

Aerospace employment had been falling steadily since the early 1990s as a result of the end of the Cold War and other factors. It hit a 50-year low of 579,700 in February of 2004, but then immediately started a sustained rebound, adding 27,400 jobs by the end of the year.

Aerospace Research Center Director David Napier said other economic indicators are looking good this year, including increases in orders, shipments, and backlog of complete aircraft and parts and search, detection, and navigation instruments. That suggests employment will continue to increase this year, Napier said.

The employment statistics, which come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, include workers in aircraft, missiles, space vehicles, propulsion, and parts as well as search, detection and navigation instruments.

The aerospace and defense industry is the leading net exporter of manufactured goods, with a positive foreign trade balance of $31 billion last year.