From the Second World War through the 1960s, Boeing’s success drove Seattle. As the aerospace manufacturer boomed from providing warplanes and then commercial aircraft, the economy of the northwestern US city also took flight. The population doubled and in the late 1950s every other manufacturing worker in King County, Washington state, was employed by Boeing.
But in 1970, as demand changed and a national recession kicked in, Boeing laid off 43,000 people. Seattle had the worst post-Depression unemployment – nearly 12% – of any big US city.
Access intelligence that drives action
To unlock this research, enter your email to log in or enquire about access
