The Industry Today

By the end of the twentieth century, most new aircraft were too complex and expensive for small companies to build.

Only very large corporations could afford the research needed to design and build rockets and spacecraft. Many famous industry names were merged into larger corporations. McDonnell joined with Douglas in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas, for example, and that company is now part of Boeing.

In the twenty-first century, the aero­space industry is dominated by these large companies. Many are huge: 63 percent of jobs in aerospace manufac­turing are in businesses that employ more than 1,000 people. There are also many small subcontractors, however, that have fewer than 100 employees.

Designing and making an airplane or spacecraft now involves thousands

of people, working in different places, who have specialized knowledge and skills. Aerospace workers, such as engi­neers, computer scientists, and systems analysts, are well educated and highly trained. For many technical jobs, such as assembly workers, electricians, machin­ists, and toolmakers, workers need a good high school education, followed by technical training and apprenticeship. Production workers in the aerospace industry generally earn higher-than – average wages, but they also work a longer-than-average week.

The world aerospace industry is dom­inated by the United States and Europe, although there are important aerospace manufacturers in other nations, includ­ing Russia, China, Brazil, India, and Japan. Many of the world’s commercial airplanes are made in the United States. The biggest airplane factory in the world is the Boeing plant located in Everett, Washington-in fact, it is the world’s single largest building.

U. S. aerospace manufacturers ship goods worth many billions of dollars every year. Many airplanes, civil and military, are exported to other countries. Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and China are major markets for the aerospace industry and especially for U. S. products. The industry in the United States employs hundreds of

О The Cleveland National Air Show combines displays of new and historic aircraft with aerobatic performances. The show attracts thousands of visitors every year.

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY LEADERS

thousands of people. The states with the most aerospace jobs are Washington and California, and there are also large employers in Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, and Texas.