PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) -- The recession hasn't stopped Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Pascagoula from hiring.
Irwin F. Edenzon, vice president and general manager of Gulf Coast operations, says the company's employment office meets with about 150 prospective employees a day.
The shipyard has been plagued with a large turnover in workers, especially since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, so hiring has continued through the recession. But company officials say now that its attrition rate is down, they can focus on choosing more qualified workers.
Edenzon says the shipbuilder has a $22.4 billion backlog of work in the next fiscal year.
Northrop is currently constructing 12 ships and employs about 17,000 workers in Pascagoula.
