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Rock Island Arsenal loses 1,083 jobs in two years

Posted November 22, 2014 12:01 am

Associated Press

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - More than 1,000 jobs at the Rock Island Arsenal have been lost over the past two years due to cutbacks in defense spending.

Official statistics show the civilian work force has fallen from 6,743 in 2012 to 5,658 this year. The Rock Island Argus (http://bit.ly/1qJ7KHw ) reports the job reduction shows the cutbacks, prompted by the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have had a deep economic impact. The total workforce at Rock Island Arsenal once reached 9,000 during the height of the two wars.

Spokesman Eric Cramer says there are now 557 active duty military personnel at the facility, up slightly from 543 in 2012.

The loss of 1,083 jobs wasn't the result of layoffs, but positions that haven't been refilled after short-term contracts ended or employees decided to retire or leave the facility.

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Information from: The Rock Island Argus, http://www.qconline.com/index.shtml

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