Boeing hiring surge

Boeing is hiring factory workers at its fastest pace since 2024 as it staffs a new 737 Max assembly line in Everett, Washington. (aerotime.aero) Recent industry reports, citing International Association of Machinists official Jon Holden, say Boeing has been adding about 100 to 140 factory workers a week in the Pacific Northwest. Holden said the unionized Boeing workforce there has climbed past 34,000. (ntd.com) The new line is expected to start operating this summer in Everett, north of Seattle, giving Boeing a fourth 737 production line alongside its existing Renton lines. FlightGlobal reported Boeing first laid out the Everett expansion in 2023 after freeing up space when 787 production left Everett in 2021. (flightglobal.com) Boeing is trying to push 737 output back up after the Federal Aviation Administration froze any production expansion in January 2024 following the Alaska Airlines 737-9 door-plug blowout. The Federal Aviation Administration said at the time that Boeing could not expand Max production until it addressed quality-control problems. (faa.gov) The production target now circulating in trade coverage is about 47 737 Max deliveries a month by summer 2026 and 53 a month by the end of the year. AirInsight reported the Everett line is central to reaching rates above 47 a month. (airinsight.com) Those goals sit alongside a crowded certification schedule. AirInsight reported Boeing is also working through 2026 milestones for the 737 Max 7, 737 Max 10 and 777-9, while Boeing said in February that the 777-9 training devices had received initial qualification. (airinsight.com) (investors.boeing.com) The backlog helps explain the urgency. Boeing said it delivered 114 737s in the first quarter of 2026, and trade reports pegged its unfilled commercial-aircraft orders at 6,127 as of March 31, including 4,368 from the 737 family. (investors.boeing.com) (airdatanews.com) The hiring push is also replacing retirees, not just filling new stations on the Everett line. Assembly Magazine, citing Reuters, reported Boeing is adding workers for the North Line, for 777X work and for attrition across its factories. (assemblymag.com) For Boeing, the next test is whether more workers and a fourth line translate into steadier output under Federal Aviation Administration scrutiny. The agency said in December 2024 it was still issuing an airworthiness certificate for every newly produced 737 Max while keeping aggressive oversight in place. (faa.gov)