United States
U.S. Space Industry Employment and U.S. Total Employment Relative to 2011
Employment at U.S. private sector space companies grew nearly 2% from 2021 to 2022, reaching 155,973 people in five employment classifications, based on preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This continues a consistent pattern of growth since 2016.
NASA Civil Servant Workforce Age Profiles over Time
For many years, NASA has been working to manage the aging of its workforce. As of the beginning of FY 2023, 23% of the NASA workforce was eligible for retirement.
Representation of Women and Minorities in Selected Industries and Aerospace Companies
While all U.S. space companies with at least 100 employees (or at least 50 employees if they do work for the government) are required to collect information on diversity and report it to the U.S. government, most do not make this data available to the public. However, four of the largest aerospace contractors — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon — make their EEO-1 reports public.
U.S. College Enrollment for Engineering, 2017-2022
According to data released by the National Student Clearing House, which tracks higher education statistics, the decline has been consistent and steady since 2017, with 86,307 fewer engineering and science majors heading to class last fall.
America’s Top Aerospace States Battle to Keep Pace with Space Industry Growth While Attracting New Businesses
[caption id="attachment_13315" align="alignleft" width="300"] NASA included this picture with a social media plea for a worker to fill a post at its Goddard Spaceflight Center in Maryland. Credit: NASA[/caption] Introduction… U.S. Private Sector Space Industry Employment, 2012-2022
The private space sector has grown more than 18% over the past five years and proved to be resilient to the negative effects on total U.S. employment associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
NASA’s Economic Benefits Span 50 States, Generating Innovation, Growth
In 2021,NASA generated more than $71 billion in economic output, supported more than 330,000 jobs, and delivered significant tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments, the agency’s latest Economic Impact Report shows.
New Congress, Despite Other Divisiveness, Sees Space as a Shared Critical Priority
The new 118th Congress marks a major shift in leadership for committees dealing with civil and military space issues, with many stalwarts retiring and new faces taking the reins.
Representation of Women and Minorities among Senior Officials and Management Compared to Representation in U.S. Workforce
Four of the largest aerospace contractors — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon — make their EEO-1 reports public. Within these companies, the proportion of females and minorities is similar to that seen in the transportation manufacturing sector overall. However, they have significantly fewer Black employees than that sector, on average.
SNAPSHOT: Launch Vehicle Operators
Orbital launch attempts have more than tripled since a lull in activity in the early 2000s bottomed out at 55 attempts in 2004. Part of the rapid growth in the past few years is due to a sharp increase in launch vehicle operators . . .