Northrop Grumman Newport News is a major component of the Newport News economy and of the region's economy. Now, at 18,200 employees, Northrop Grumman Newport News is the State of Virginia's largest private basic sector employer. The company has a $5 billion back log. Northrop Grumman Newport News is the only shipyard capable of building the Navy's giant nuclear powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards building nuclear submarines. These ships carry the most advanced technology, and their construction requires the services of a highly skilled, motivated and multi faceted workforce, including those with metalworking, electronics, and computer skills. Northrop Grumman Newport News employs state of the art production technology and computer assisted design in order to deliver ships ahead of schedule and below estimated cost. The Newport News Economic Development Authority has built the Herbert H. Bateman Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding and Carrier Integration Center, which houses Shipyard engineers and university researchers designing the next generation of aircraft carriers and other high-tech naval projects.
Employment growth in Newport News has averaged almost 1% annually over the past six years. Population growth has been about 0.5% annually since 1990. Through new labor force entrants and workers leaving the military, the availability of both entry level and skilled, experienced workers has remained high. Yet, the underlying strength of the economy is present, shown in rising retail sales, which are now almost $1.9 billion in Newport News. |
