Rumor from pilot going through SLI training: Hiring up to 1,500 in 2015.
But it's just a rumor as far as I can tell, and would need a change in current interview tempo. 8 applicants/interview, 4 interviews/week, 10 months/year, with a 75% selection rate is "only" about 1k/yr.
Still, I like rumors like that.
Oh, and how 'bout that AE? That might could shake some things up a bit in the next few months!