5 Largest Defense Firms Shed 14 Percent of Their Workforces in Last 6 Years, Analysis Shows

"As the prospects for growth have decreased in the defense industry, the way that defense companies can attract investors is by showing that they can increase profit margins," Philip Finnegan, director of corporate analysis at the Teal Group, an aerospace and defense market research firm, told Politico. "There's been a drive in the defense industry to increase profit margins and return more to shareholders."