Wichita Looks Beyond Aviation

The city of Wichita (Kansas, U.S.A.) has long depended on the aviation industry for a large fraction of its jobs. Demand for aircraft is expected to pick up as the U.S. economy recovers. Analysts forecast a flat year in 2004, with demand picking up in 2005. Hiring, however, may not rebound, because improvements in productivity mean fewer workers are needed to produce the same aircraft. Furthermore, more work is being sent to outside companies and overseas - three Japanese companies, for example, will build 35 percent of Boeing's 7E7. Still, a state study predicts double-digit growth in aviation jobs, especially those related to advanced technologies such as thermoplastics and composites.