Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Local shuttle job loss report released

Click here to view the report.
Click here to check out next generation space jobs.



The long-awaited Aerospace Workforce Outlook Report - Phase III has been released, confirming earlier reports that some 6,400 to 7,000 of 9,160 total shuttle related workers will lose their jobs as the shuttle stops flying.

"This is only a snapshot and things are likely to change with President Obama's address to the nation next week," Lisa Rice, president of Brevard Workforce, said.

Highlights of the report include the fact that some 88 percent of shuttle workers live in Brevard County, with 58 percent living in Central Brevard, an area expected to be hard hit by the end of the shuttle program.

Recommendations include appropriating $3.2 million from the state for retraining workers. (Gov. Charlie Crist has pledged to support the funding.) Also recommended was the creation of a research and development tax credit and a commercial launch zone.

By the numbers:
- 30 percent of the workforce will be eligible for retirement by 2011
- 25 percent of shuttle workers are 54 years old or older
- 2,200 workers are between 55 and 64, the ones most at risk of needing help
- 538 workers were laid off in October of 2009
- 2,000 of the current workforce will be retained
- 400 could continue working at the NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot
- 700 will support next generation activities
- 300,000 items of surplus property will remain for disposal

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

We can thank the people who voted for Obama, that change he promised is coming soon!!!

Anonymous said...

so it begins

Anonymous said...

It's been nothing but a Glorified Social Welfare Program designed to relieve the Tax Payers of their hard earned money and funnel it directly into the bank accounts of Defense Contractors.

The space workers were nothing but the excuse to do it to the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

a taste of things to come....

Anonymous said...

Most jobs at the Space Center are common jobs that require only common skills. While NASA looked the other way unions and contractors abused the system and negotiated unreasonably high wages and benefits which then were paid by the US government. In essence these folks priced themselves out of a job. Can't feel too sorry for them

Anonymous said...

what did we get for all the money we put in the program?

Anonymous said...

Retraining is a ridiculous gesture ... 2200 guys over 55 y/o ...degreed engineers/technicians.. what's Charlie gonna do? Put them thru 4-6 more years of college? What he really needs to do is get on congress to keep flying the shuttle til Ares is in full swing. Why kill a program before the next program is ready to go? Typical NASA.....their micro-managing and mis-managing goes all the way back to Mercury.

Me said...

Your "Glorified Social Welfare Program" comments are getting old. Obama is the KING of Welfare. Would you rather give it to the Russians or are you just mad because you work at Burger King?

Mr Doom said...

Brevard County will be close to "worthless" when the Shuttle Program shuts down. Already 12.4% unemployment and when it really hits the fan, EVERYONE will be in trouble. A lot of your funding for your community, charities, and business will no longer "share the wealth" from the space program. Get ready to live in a area just like Detroit of high unemployment, worthless homes, and high crime because that is where it is going.

Anonymous said...

I think it's unfair to call it a "welfare" program since these people actually work for a living and earn the taxpayers money unlike true welfare people who do not.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like someone couldn't get a job at the Space Center and is bitter now. Hey, someone has to make the french fries. We all can't be astronauts.

This has nothing to do with Obama. As I remember, Bush started this path. Griffin greased it. And Obama gets blamed for it.

Anonymous said...

One may wonder why 400 employees will be needed in the shuttle logistics depot when there is no longer a shuttle. Will it really require 400 people ?

Anonymous said...

This is nothing new. The Shuttles were set to be retired by Bush, not Obama. I think some people tend to forget that. Also, did NASA really believe that the shuttles would fly forever? It's their fault for not planning ahead of time to create another vehicle to fly out of orbit.

Anonymous said...

Last time this happened I saw truck driving training & lots of work cleaning bedpans at the local retirement homes, part time of course and @ Min wage. Train me??? I don't think so.

Bob Socks said...

How many workers over 65 still working at KSC?

Anonymous said...

Thanks to Obama this is only going to get worse! Brevard County will be a ghost town by the time he's through with us!

Anonymous said...

"We can thank the people who voted for Obama, that change he promised is coming soon!!!"

You should be happy....this was the plan Bush wanted!

Anonymous said...

Yeah that's right fool.. blame Obama for this... IT was BUSH who shut down the Shuttle program ... or does your selective memory not go back that far????

Anonymous said...

There are going to be shuttle job losses?

Anonymous said...

Yes, and it was Obama who said in Titusville that he would prevent space shuttle program workers from losing their jobs. Another promise unkept.

Anonymous said...

The Misery will soon be over.

Anonymous said...

The Misery will not soon be over.
The Misery is just getting ready to begin.

Anonymous said...

NASA does not have a plan, and never did have a plan to retain jobs. That is not what NASA is about.

NASA is about space exploration and improving the quality of life for everybody on the planet Earth, the jobs come with the projects that NASA takes the reins on.

Since NASA is a government run program, ALL government employess will retain their jobs ( which are administrative ), and the contractors who get paid by NASA will bear the brunt of no contract, no work, no pay.

Those who get their hands dirty for a living at the Cape will be left to fend for themselves, those who DO NOT get their hands dirty will be left finding B.S. work projects to justify their overpaid and grossly underworked jobs.

Brevard County is really going to suffer. The government employees are just going to move on and leech off another government program....once you are in, you are in for life. Outsiders need not apply.

Anonymous said...

Will the Obama ignorant give credit to Obama if he diminishes the job losses in his State of the Union? Obama has the POWER to say NO to what Bush said to stop flying - remember there was one too many shuttle accidents during Bush - he didnt need another one blamed on him later. Obama ignorants still blame Bush for Katrina (oops that wasn't a man made disaster). The reason Obama is reluctant to help space is Brevard County didnt support him. HE WILL TEACH US...

Anonymous said...

Maybe if Bush & Co. had not obliterated a budget surplus, taken us deep into deficit, fooled us with an unnecessary and costly war, bankrupt us (almost into economic disaster)... we could actually afford the $2B a year we need to go to the Moon in 2020.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't the Federal Budget come out in February. Maybe we can be in for a nice surprise and we will not see the catastrophic job losses that everyone is predicting.

We have to think positive...all this doom and gloom is what keeps people scared to do anything. We are in a vicious cycle right now that we have to break!

Anonymous said...

Doom and gloom...Prepare.

Anonymous said...

"One may wonder why 400 employees will be needed in the shuttle logistics depot when there is no longer a shuttle. Will it really require 400 people ?"


The NSLD "Shuttle logistics depot" currently carries the name shuttle because that is what the bulk of the work that is done there.

However, the Depot has a world class machine/welding shop, and an Avionics lab. It is one of the few sites in the south that has both. I am guessing that the 400 jobs that may be at the NSLD has something to do with the DOD visit that the Florida Today mentioned a few months back.

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh - Lets see, 9000 employess making good wages spending money in Brevard County, raising familes, owning homes, buying vehicles etc... Where else would you like your tax money invested?? Without the space center, where would central and north brevard county be?? I bet you watch TV (Directv or Dish) - Bet you use a debit card at the gas pump - How do you think the war fighter is supported - Ahh satellites - There will be a transition period (bath tub affect) until the next program becomes operational - blame congress for not providing the budget to support the new program - Oh I forgot, you probably support Health Care, Cap & Trade etc... I bet you'll see a big return on your taxes supporting those programs in Brevard County - Some people just don't get it!!!

Signed previous Air Force employee/shuttle engineer

Anonymous said...

While Bush set the goal for exploration and shuttle retirement, Obama looks to be killing the follow on program. At one time he claimed that he would close the gap between programs at this point he has expanded the gap.

Anonymous said...

I've worked on the Shuttle Program since 1978.
We all knew the day would come, when the Program would end.
However, we assumed that there would be funding for the NASA to continue with Space exploration.
Obama is to the Space Program as Jimmy (the peanut farmer) was to the BI Bomber and National Defense.
So many jobs will be lost, due to the Obama mandate.
Obama and the other clowns in Washington didn't have a problem, printing money, to hand over to the Bankers, and what have the Fat Cats done with the money?
They've given a bonus to the same individuals who put the Banks in a hole.

An unhappy tax payer, who didn't vote for the next coming of Jimmy Carter

Anonymous said...

Space Exploration creates jobs, and those workers play the taxes, to support all the individuals who have been on Welfare for the past 50 years.
Eliminating jobs, creates more collectors of Welfare.
However, due to the vast numbers of Welfare collectors, who have never worked a day in their lifes, there will not be any money to help the people who will now be without jobs.
The world might just end in 2012, but the end will be a result of Obama, and individuals who actually think he's doing a great job.