Northwest Aerospace News October | November Issue No. 5 | Page 52

Employment
Trends
for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing
By: Mary Kaye Bredeson, executive director; and Jennifer Ferrero, APR, marketing communications
Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing
Jennifer Ferrero
APR, Communications and Marketing
COE for Aerospace and Advanced
Manufacturing
www.coeaerospace.com
T
here’s a big shift going on in business. It’s a shift into Seattle, an aerospace hub, and
out of Seattle to places like Spokane, that support aerospace manufacturing – but with less
hassle than in the big city.
The recently published “August 2018 Workforce Report” by LinkedIn offers a telling
national look at skills gaps, available jobs, and personnel migration for jobs around the
country.
In the Northwest, Seattle was on the radar in several data points. For manufacturing, which
can include the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industry, hiring was up 12.6percent.
This was one of the key industry segments with tremendous growth in 2018 (YTD).
Mary Kaye Bredeson
Executive Director, COE for Aero-
space and Advanced Manufacturing
www.coeaerospace.com
COE SPOTLIGHT
52
Although hiring increased, there was a problem. Almost 358,000 people have skills gaps
that are needed for hiring in Seattle, Washington. According to the report, a skills gap is
when employers need a certain skill (demand), and there is a deficit in people with those
skills (supply). That makes supply and demand off, making it harder for positions to be
filled. For example, when CNC machinists are needed, or mechatronics technicians, but
there are no qualified candidates, the jobs go unfilled, or are filled with non-qualified can-
didates. Seattle is listed as the fifth city in the nation with the highest percentage of skills
shortages.
NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS