Training and Workforce
Aerospace and Defense Firms Face Stiff Competition For Talent
Companies must try harder to retain and recruit the talent they need
A Thales site in France. Employees are discussing eco-friendly ATM trajectories
At a Thales site in France, employees focus on how to introduce more environmentally friendly air traffic management trajectories.

Prompted by record backlogs in the commercial sector and growing national defense spending, the aerospace and defense industry has gone on a hiring spree. The number of recruits needed is exceptional, as companies continue to address skills shortages and compete for talent with other industries.

Some of the fastest growth has happened in France and Germany, which boast the most highly-developed aerospace industries in Europe and are home to major airframers Airbus, Dassault Aviation, and ATR, as well as equipment manufacturers like Thales, Safran, MTU Aero Engines, and Diehl Aerospace.  In 2023, Airbus expanded its worldwide workforce by almost 14,000 employees, Safran recruited more than 18,000, and Thales Group took on 10,900 new hires (excluding work-study positions), of which women accounted for some 30 percent of the total.