G.E. to Hire 5,000 Vets, Expand Aviation Operations General Electric, the nation's largest conglomerate, announced today it will hire 5,000 U.S. military veterans and spend $580 million to expand its domestic aviation manufacturing business. These and other announcements came at the start of a four-day, G.E.-sponsored event in Washington, D.C, called What Works for America, which highlights steps the U.S. can take to improve its global competitiveness in manufacturing, innovation, jobs and trade. G.E. already employs more than 10,000 veterans, according to the company. It is now committing itself to hire 5,000 more, over the next five years, and to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to sponsor 400 job fairs for veterans in 2012. The company says it will expand its aviation business in 2012, investing $580 million in new plants, and adding more than 400 new aviation-related jobs in manufacturing, research and development over the next three years. In 2013 it will open new plants in Ellisville, Miss.; Auburn, Ala.; and Dayton, Ohio. The company expects its deliveries of commercial and military jet engines to grow from 3,000 in 2011 to 3,400 in 2012 and 3,800 in 2013. The four-day event in Washington devotes one day each to such topics as improving American manufacturing (Monday); innovation in medical research, transportation infrastructure and energy (Tuesday); global competitiveness (Wednesday); and how best to assist military veterans in rejoining the domestic workforce (Thursday). For a full agenda, see http://www.ge.com/works/ . Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric Co. Chris Rank/ Bloomberg/Getty Images