EB's workforce surpasses 16,000, a number not seen in nearly 25 years

Despite the uncertainty created by the federal government shutdown, "none of the markers would suggest that the support for submarines is going down," Electric Boat President Jeffrey Geiger told a crowd Monday morning at the Mystic Marriott.

Geiger was delivering the company's annual update to state and local officials and other community stakeholders, and he painted a rosy outlook for the submarine builder, the beneficiary of lucrative government contracts.

Last year, more than $7 billion in federal funding was spent on submarine programs. Though the budget for 2018 is still being worked out, the funding levels for submarines being debated are almost 5 percent higher than last year, Geiger said.

The company plans to hire 2,200 employees in 2018, including 500 in operations in Groton, another 500 in engineering and design and 200 in support. At Quonset Point in Rhode Island, where the company's submarine hull fabrication plant is located, 1,000 new hires are expected.

Click here for the full article