Military contractors have become islands of growth in a national job market that is underwater

[bigtree]

SOUTH NASHUA, N.H. - Across the nation, companies are lopping off hundreds of thousands of jobs, retailers are shuttering stores, and automakers are tottering on the edge of bankruptcy.

But here in the Merrimack River Valley, and over the state line at several industrial sites around Massachusetts, defense contractor BAE Systems is hoisting "Help Wanted" signs.

BAE develops technology in fields like electronic warfare and cybersecurity, sophisticated systems that are key to combating a new wave of threats around the globe. At a time when 1.7 million jobs have been lost in the United States this year, the company is hiring 200 engineers and manufacturing workers in Nashua, Hudson, and Merrimack, N.H., and Burlington, Lexington, and Marlborough, Mass.

Other defense electronics contractors, such as Waltham's Raytheon Co. and General Dynamics Corp.'s communications systems center in Taunton, also continue to ramp up. Such companies remain awash in orders from the Pentagon and American allies increasingly worried about terrorism and missile proliferation.

BAE and other military contractors have become islands of growth in a national job market that is underwater . . .

Defense spending has climbed steadily during the Bush administration, reaching $671.7 billion in the 2008 fiscal year, including emergency supplemental appropriations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That represents a 72 percent increase from fiscal 2000, after adjusting for

And even when the cuts come, some companies, because of what they do or because of emerging threats, will fare pretty well.


read: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/12/06/one_thriving_sector_the_business_of_war/

[silverojo]

1. The Reagan era, revisited

Are toilet seats back up to $600 each yet? :grr:

[bigtree]

2. $omewhere in their $700 billion-plus budget

. . . there has to be at least one overpriced crapper.

[stillcool]

3. Can never have too many weapons!

I think Pakistan recently got a bunch, but India must need some.

[bigtree]

4. don't forget the missile defense contracts for Eastern Europe

to add to the 'backlog'