First Quarter 1998

Aerospace employment may have plateaued at 898,000 in the first quarter of 1998—registering no gain since year-end 1997. Despite declining from the fourth quarter, first quarter orders and sales, on an annualized basis, exceeded 1997's full-year results. Both military and civil aerospace exports unequivocally increased—laying the foundation to eclipse last year's export record of $50 billion. Aerospace profits surged 60% during the first quarter, but to a rate below 1996 and 1997 levels.

In Billions of Current Dollars	1Q 1998	4Q 1997	% Change 4Q97 to 1Q98	1Q 1997	1996 Year-End	1997 Year-End
Aerospace Sales	$35.69	$36.61	-2.5%	$31.70	$127.05	$139.28
Profits	$1.62	$1.01	59.7%	$1.79	$7.15	$7.22
Orders	$32.51	$44.47	-26.9%	$29.88	$134.10	$127.11
Exports--Total	$14.40	$13.53	6.5%	$11.13	$40.27	$50.37
Exports--Civil	$11.70	$10.90	7.4%	$8.99	$29.48	$40.07
Exports--Military	$2.70	$2.63	2.7%	$2.15	$10.79	$10.30
Employment (in thousands)	898	892	0.6%	837	828	898

For more information about AIA's Statistics, please contact stats@aia-aerospace.org.