When a major employer announces an in-person press event in the middle of a raging pandemic, you want to be there. Thankfully, the news from General Dynamics Electric Boat on Nov. 6 was all good, and a reminder that better economic times are ahead for the state.
The company announced a $9.5 billion U.S. Navy contract for work on the next-generation of U.S. submarines. By June, it expects to have as many as 6,000 employees working on the ships in North Kingstown, about 2,000 more than are there now.
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of such steady job growth to the local economy, which even in good times is overly reliant on small businesses.
During the pandemic, Electric Boat was among the relative few locally to continue training and hiring.
Rhode Island has often been criticized for being too dependent on a service economy. It’s an argument that naturally gains steam in a down economy. But Electric Boat is a welcome reminder in these challenging times that there’s more diversity in the local economy than the state sometimes gets credit for.