The number of job opportunities for maintenance personnel increased in the first part of this year, according to an annual survey by JSfirm.com, a web-based service supporting and matching job seekers with potential employers in the aviation/aerospace industry. “Going into this year’s survey we anticipated there might be a modest hiring increase, but the results surprised us,” Jeff Richards, business development manager for JSfirm.com, told AIN.

According to Richards, 671 aviation industry-related companies responded to the survey this year, reflecting the entire industry and including helicopter and fixed-wing operators, air carriers, OEMs and repair stations. “We found that in the first quarter this year there were 47 percent more jobs posted than during the same period last year. On May 15, the industry had already surpassed the 2011 number by 30 percent across the board,” he said. 

“Twenty-five percent of the companies said they’d be hiring maintenance personnel and another 10 percent said they’d be hiring avionics technicians," said Richards. "The number-one request in the maintenance field is for sheet metal repair and fabricator technicians. They’re looking for 10 years’ experience but in this market they’re taking people with two years’ experience. Pilots are also in high demand.”