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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Boeing hiring machinists

Associated Press

EVERETT – Boeing Co. is hiring more machinists as it starts ramping up commercial jet production.

The Daily Herald of Everett reported Thursday that Boeing has added nearly 1,000 production workers in the past eight weeks, including about 193 it plans to hire today. Based on information from the Machinists union, that would be the highest number of new machinists hired by Boeing in a single week since 2005, the newspaper said.

Boeing, which releases employment figures at the end of each month, said that at the end of October it had 72,782 employees in Washington state, a gain of 618 since the first of the year. In its Commercial Airplanes division, most of which is based in Washington, 2,388 jobs have been added to total 62,622.

That number doesn’t include about 500 recently hired machinists, the Herald said. Boeing’s worldwide employment this year has stayed stable at around 160,000 workers.

After slowing some production lines because of the recession, Boeing announced it would speed up its 737, 777 and 747 programs next year.

It also plans to increase production of its long-delayed 787 jetliner.