Electric Boat to Hire 8,000 Workers in 2026

Submarine manufacturer ramps up hiring to meet production goals

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corp., is planning to hire 8,000 new employees in 2026, a significant increase from the 3,000 hires the company was planning for 2025. The hiring ramp-up is part of EB's efforts to boost submarine production and meet the U.S. Navy's demand for Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarines.

Why it matters

Electric Boat's expansion and hiring plans are a major economic boost for southeastern Connecticut, where the company is a major employer. The increased hiring and production will have ripple effects throughout the local economy and community.

The details

EB President Mark Rayha outlined the hiring plans in a memo to employees, stating that 3,500 of the new jobs will be at the company's Quonset Point, Rhode Island facility, 2,500 will involve tradespeople in Groton, Connecticut, 1,000 will be in engineering and design, and the remaining 1,000 will be spread across other parts of the company. Rayha also said EB expects to eventually reach 33,000 total employees, up from the current 25,000.

  • EB President Mark Rayha's memo to employees was released last week.
  • The official announcement of EB's hiring plans is expected to be made on February 23, 2026 at an invitation-only Legislative Breakfast.

The players

Mark Rayha

President of Electric Boat, a division of General Dynamics Corp.

Joe Courtney

U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 2nd congressional district

Tony Sheridan

President and Chief Executive of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut

Metal Trades Council

The union representing workers at Electric Boat

Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board (EWIB)

A regional workforce development organization working to train workers for jobs at Electric Boat

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What they’re saying

“Collectively, we must put every effort into training and up-skilling our people to accomplish our mission.”

— Mark Rayha, President, Electric Boat (Internal memo)

“EB deserves an enormous amount of credit for putting the area and New London on the map. We want to help EB get the quality people they want. When you hire new people, it's not just a benefit to the economy; they end up volunteering on boards and agencies, and the whole area is uplifted.”

— Tony Sheridan, President and Chief Executive, Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut (Phone interview)

“The Metal Trades Council is definitely happy to have people work extra hours, and the third shift, which has been kind of skeletal, they're trying to fill out more.”

— Joe Courtney, U.S. Representative (Phone interview)

What’s next

The official announcement of EB's hiring plans is expected to be made on February 23, 2026 at an invitation-only Legislative Breakfast.

The takeaway

Electric Boat's major hiring and expansion plans are a significant economic boost for southeastern Connecticut, but the company and local workforce development organizations will need to work closely together to ensure they can find and train the skilled workers needed to meet the company's ambitious production goals.