US Job Openings Rise to 6.95M
U.S. job openings climbed to 6.95 million in January and layoffs fell, a sign of labor resilience that analysts say underwrites continued hiring at defense primes and high‑skill aerospace firms reported. The data supports steady demand for CFD, propulsion, and systems engineers even as other sectors cool.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ JOLTS release included annual revisions that “marked down” vacancy figures for much of 2025, a methodological update noted alongside the January data. bloomberg.com Congress and the Pentagon pushed larger FY‑2026 funding levels this cycle, with appropriations adding roughly $18.3 billion for procurement and RDT&E above the request and analysts calculating U.S. defense discretionary outlays rising to about $1.05 trillion after recent acts. dsm.forecastinternational.com Major primes show active hiring flows: Lockheed Martin’s careers site returned roughly 3,023 open listings in early March 2026, Northrop Grumman is advertising 2026 entry‑level opportunities while third‑party aggregators report ~855 space‑related openings, and Boeing’s Los Angeles job feed listed several dozen active roles this month. lockheedmartinjobs.com Hiring demand for CFD and propulsion specialists is visible across listings: Indeed shows hundreds of propulsion/CFD roles (817 result set), sector job guides list SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Aerojet Rocketdyne and others as active recruiters for propulsion talent, Relativity Space had ~200+ Long Beach openings and Aerojet/L3Harris lists dozens of positions at its Canoga Park propulsion facilities. indeed.com
