Boeing is hiring more than 100 factory workers a week to increase output and replace retirees. The company's unionized factory workers in the Pacific Northwest now number over 34,000. Boeing needs to staff a fourth Seattle-area production line for the 737 ​MAX narrowbody jet and support production of the 777X widebody. The aerospace industry has been dealing with a shortage of skilled workers since the COVID-19 pandemic ended and operations ramped up again. Boeing's current demand for factory workers still trails its aggressive hiring in 2023 to 2024.