Report: Bath Iron Works recruitment is up

A new report on the workforce at Bath Iron Works shows a boost in recruitment of new talent, the company said in a statement.

The report, produced by California-based Wallace Economic Advisors, studied the shipbuilder’s impact on the Maine economy, and focused on data related to the company’s workers.

The report found that the shipyard spend $11 million recruiting new workers from 2016 to 2023. The company also spent $90 million on training over the past five years. More than half of the shipyard’s workforce, the report found, has fewer than five years of experience.

“Our recent efforts have shown that there are great people here in Maine who want to be shipbuilders,” said Charles F. Krugh, the shipyard’s president. “We have found that we need to leverage Maine’s secondary educational system to provide them additional training. This skills training enables them to succeed in the entry-level jobs that are the gateway to a long career with potential for both significant earnings and professional growth over time.” 

According to the shipyard, Bath Iron Works had 6,700 employees at the start of 2023, with a payroll of $447 million.

The shipyard is the largest manufacturing employer in the state. Its workforce represents 2.3% of all private-sector jobs in Maine, and 12.4% of the state’s manufacturing workforce, the report found.

The report’s authors also estimated the shipyard’s total economic output at $2.5 billion.