Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which added 400 civilian workers in the last six months of 2022, is now looking to hire at least 1,200 more employees by July 2024.

The Portsmouth Herald reported the shipyard is looking to hire between 650 and 700 workers by the end of the fiscal year on Oct. 31 and is offering $5,000 sign-on bonuses.

Right now the shipyard has about 6,500 civilian employees.

Among the positions the shipyard is looking to fill are shipfitters, sheet metal mechanics, welders, machinists, machinery mechanics, pipefitters, insulators, painters, sandblasters and plastic fabricators.

— JEFF FEINGOLD