Boeing Work Force Expansion Tapers Off

The Boeing Co. work force is growing at a slower pace, with hiring down to 400 workers a week between April 15 and May 15 from 460 a week in the previous month, the company says.

“We will continue to bring in more people, but it won’t be at a very fast pace,” Boeing spokesman Peter Conte said Monday.

Earlier this year Boeing officials said as many as 10,000 workers would be added in 1997, compared with 21,000 added last year.

As of May 15, Boeing had 154,482 employees, including 93,681 in Washington state, compared with 125,822 overall and 87,769 in the state at the start of the year.

Most of the overall increase came with the acquisition of Rockwell International’s defense business.