Defense Contractors Hire At Fastest Rate Since Cold War

Global defence companies are recruiting workers at the fastest rate since the end of the cold war as the industry seeks to deliver on order books that are near record highs.

A Financial Times survey of the hiring plans of 20 large and medium-sized US and European defence and aerospace companies found they are looking to recruit tens of thousands of people this year.

Three of the largest US contractors — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics — have close to 6,000 job openings they need to fill, while 10 companies surveyed are seeking to increase positions by almost 37,000 in total, or almost 10 per cent of their aggregate workforce.

“Since the end of the cold war, this is the most intense period for the defence sector with the highest increase in order volume in a rather short period of time,” said Jan Pie, secretary-general of ASD, the European aerospace and defence trade association.

Governments around the world have ramped up military spending since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid widespread geopolitical tensions.

The sudden spike in orders after decades of low volumes, combined with competition for digital skills from technology groups and a labour market still dealing with Covid-era staff shortages, are some of the factors driving the industry-wide hiring spree.