Boeing Is Ramping Up Hiring. Is This a Sign of a Real Turnaround in BA Stock?

Boeing (BA) shares moved higher last week after reports surfaced that the aerospace giant is hiring factory workers at its fastest pace in roughly two years. For investors who have watched the stock grind through years of turbulence, that headline is difficult to ignore.

But a hiring surge alone doesn't guarantee a stock turnaround. The real question is whether this momentum reflects something deeper, such as a genuine operational recovery, or just a company refilling seats after a painful stretch of attrition.

The answer, based on what Boeing's own leadership has said, leans encouraging. But there are still a few things worth watching closely.

Boeing’s Hiring Push Is Tied to Production Growth

According to Reuters, Boeing is now adding roughly 100 to 140 factory workers each week in the Pacific Northwest, the fastest rate since 2024. Union officials say the regional workforce has climbed past 34,000 and is still growing. The driver behind the push is straightforward: Boeing needs more hands on the floor to support higher production rates.

The company is currently building 737 MAX jets at 42 per month and is targeting a move to 47 sometime around midyear, Boeing CFO Jesus Malave said at the Bank of America Global Industrials Conference in March. 

A brand-new 737 assembly line is also being stood up in Everett, Washington, which will eventually take on all production above 47 per month.

"The line is ready to go. It's going to be an exact replica of Renton," Malave said, referring to the company's primary 737 facility. First builds are expected to begin there this summer.

Boeing delivered 114 737s in the first quarter of 2026, out of 143 total commercial deliveries. That's a meaningful improvement from where the company stood just two years ago, after a work stoppage and a quality crisis.

Can BA Stock Recover?

Hiring is a lagging indicator. What matters more to BA stock is whether Boeing can translate a larger workforce into consistent, on-time deliveries and eventually, margin improvement.

On that front, the news is mixed but generally constructive.

• Boeing delivered 600 commercial aircraft in 2025, the highest total since 2018, Malave noted.
• The company closed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems and has since seen defect rates fall about 40% at that facility.
• The commercial backlog stands at more than $560 billion.

That said, Boeing is still burning cash. The commercial airplane unit is expected to post a margin of roughly -7.5-8% in the first quarter of 2026, partly because Spirit's higher cost structure had to be absorbed. Margins at that segment aren't expected to turn positive until 2027.

A wiring issue earlier this year also delayed roughly 10 of the approximately 120 planned first-quarter 737 deliveries, pushing them into the second quarter and shaving a couple of hundred million dollars from near-term cash flow. Even as Boeing scales hiring, the aerospace sector as a whole continues to face a shortage of experienced technicians. 

Washington state aerospace employment rose from about 79,000 jobs last summer to more than 81,000 early this year, according to Reuters. But the pipeline of certified mechanics remains tight, and companies are leaning heavily on apprenticeship programs to fill the gap.

Malave acknowledged the challenge but said retention has improved sharply. "Our retention rates are very high. Employees started to believe that we could recover."

What Is the Boeing Stock Price Target?

Analysts tracking Boeing forecast revenue to increase from $89.5 billion in 2025 to $140 billion in 2030. The airline manufacturer is projected to report free cash flow of $13.60 billion in 2030, compared to an outflow of $1.88 billion in 2025. If BA stock is priced at 20x forward FCF, it could gain 55% within the next four years. 

Out of the 29 analysts covering BA stock, 21 recommend “Strong Buy,” three recommend “Moderate Buy,” four recommend “Hold,” and one recommends “Strong Sell.” The average BA stock price target is $266.73, above the current price of about $223.