Aerospace, Aviation Industry Important at All Levels, Study Shows

Employing more than two million workers in 2001 with an annual average wage of $47,700, the U.S. civil and commercial aerospace and aviation industry has a major economic and employment impact at the national, state and local levels in all 50 states, according to a report by the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The industry also is a substantial force in civil, military, and space manufacturing and operations in nearly half of the nation's states, the report stated.

The Commission, a 12-member panel formed in 2001 by the President and the U.S. Congress, offers a picture of the industry in a national and state-by-state analysis entitled U.S. Aerospace and Aviation Industry: A State-by-State Analysis. Their 112-page statistical study examines the industry by direct employment, wages, establishments and payroll, providing comparative economic data for review.

Air transportation, among other segments of the aerospace and aviation industry, was the leading employer with more than 1.3 million jobs in 2001, the report shows. Air transportation workers earned an average of $40,600 per year, as California, Texas, Illinois, Florida and New York led in aviation employment.

The study also shows that aircraft and parts manufacturing employed 462,200 workers, with an average annual salary of $57,200. The leading centers in this segment in 2001 were Washington, California, Kansas, Texas and Connecticut.

Other data breakouts by sector include Guided Missile Manufacturing, Satellite Communications, Space Research and Technology, and Search and Detection Manufacturing.

"The significance of our analysis lies in the illustration of the importance of the aerospace and aviation industry to the economic health of every state economy," Commission Chairman Robert Walker said in a press statement. "California, Texas and Washington lead by most aerospace and aviation metrics. At the same time, however, the report demonstrates that Alabama, Arizona, Georgia and Kansas are home to strong industry clusters - a fact some may find surprising."

The statistical data in the study also include pertinent aerospace and aviation workforce and economic impact data for leading U.S. metropolitan areas, including Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Phoenix, Boston, Atlanta, New York, Wichita, and Chicago.

Statistics used in the report are based on the most recently available U.S. government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are limited by the Standard Industrial Classification system. While the figures provided are the latest official data, they don't reflect the significant downturn of the industry since the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001.

U.S. Aerospace and Aviation Industry is a draft of the final report the Commission intends to release November 18, 2002. More information will be available through http://www.aerospacecommission.gov.