The location of industrial operations in the United States has changed dramatically since the end of World War II. Recent studies by geographers, economists, and other scholars have found that a large share of new industrial growth is generated by private firms that contract with U.S. military services. These labor-intensive firms have tended to locate in certain northeastern, southeastern, south central, and western states. Although theories have been developed for other industries to explain the locational patterns of production and employment, rigorous testing of locational hypotheses regarding defense-related industries has not been done on a national scale. As a result, relatively little is specifically known regarding the long-term relationship of defense-related industrial operations, labor pools, and other factors. This project will test a set of hypotheses about the temporal and geographical patterns of defense-related industrial employment in order to determine the degree to which defense-industry workers follow jobs rather than vice versa. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, and other sources will be analyzed to explore (1) the magnitude and occupational composition of defense-related employment, (2) changes in occupational orientation to defense, (3) regional patterns of occupation by different industries, (4) migration of workers in defense-related industries and occupations, (5) changes in the locational patterns of different occupational classes, and (6) the socio-economic composition and earnings of defense-related workers. In addition to determining the ways in which workers have migrated to regions of net increase in defense-related industrial employment, this project will identify how workers respond when defense-related industrial employment declines. This project will make important contributions to both theoretical and empirical knowledge. By rigorously testing an integrated set of locational hypotheses relating defense-related industrial production and employment to the occupational composition, mobility, and socio- economic characteristics of workers, this project will provide a basis for comparison with other industries that already have undergone extensive analyses. General theories of modern industrial and labor force location therefore will be enhanced. The conclusions of this research will also be of considerable interest to persons specifically interested in the impacts of defense-related industrial activity on the populations and labor forces of areas where such industries are located. By better understanding the processes of worker response to industrial activity, policy makers will have more complete knowledge of the ramifications of decisions to increase or reduce production in this critical industrial sector.
