Boeing Hiring 100-140 Workers Weekly to Staff Fourth 737 MAX Line
Boeing has ramped new factory hires to 100-140 workers weekly, boosting IAM-represented Pacific Northwest headcount to over 34,000 from 33,000 in 2024 to support a fourth 737 MAX line and 777X program. Washington aerospace jobs rose to 81,800 by February, while apprenticeship enrollment has exceeded the 125-participant cap.
1. Hiring Surge Details
Boeing has accelerated factory hiring to roughly 100–140 workers per week, the fastest pace since 2024, raising the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers headcount in the Pacific Northwest to over 34,000 from about 33,000 last year.
2. Production Expansion Plans
The company plans to open a fourth 737 MAX assembly line near Seattle, internally called the North Line, and is also scaling staffing for the 777X widebody program, which is pending regulatory certification.
3. Workforce and Apprenticeship Growth
Staffing needs extend beyond assembly to parts movement, warehousing, tooling and transportation, and enrollment in Boeing’s specialized trades apprenticeship program has already surpassed the 125-participant limit set by the 2024 labor agreement.
4. Regional Employment Trends and Production Ceiling
Washington state aerospace manufacturing employment recovered from a low of 79,000 in August to 81,800 in February, while the FAA raised the 737 MAX production ceiling to 42 jets per month last October, with plans for further five-unit increases.