Paul Berger of The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. manufacturers, like Craig Jones’s company, are facing a critical shortage of skilled workers as reshoring efforts increase. Job openings outpace hires, and despite apprenticeship programs, attracting younger workers remains a challenge. Manufacturers are concerned about America’s aging workforce and the push for four-year degrees over trade skills. Berger writes:
Craig Jones’s biggest problem for years was winning new business for his family-run plastics company headquartered in Louisville, Ky.
Today, the challenge is finding workers to meet the company’s growing orderbook as companies increasingly source more of their parts and products from the U.S.
“My biggest concern as we continue to reshore business is, who’s going to do the work?” said Jones, the chief executive of Jones Plastic & Engineering. […]
U.S. factories employ about 13 million people. Plant owners are struggling to fill positions even as other sectors of the economy, such as transportation and warehousing, have recovered from pandemic-era labor shortages.
For most of this year, the gap each month between manufacturing job openings and hirings has hovered at about 100,000 positions. More than 60% of employers in a recent survey by the National Association of Manufacturers said attracting and retaining talent is a top concern. The trade group forecasts the sector will need to fill 3.8 million roles over the next decade because of retirees leaving the industry and growing manufacturing demand. […]
Blum Group imports about 35% of its Americas merchandise from Europe. Lafferty said the company wants to expand the North Carolina plant, which would mean hiring about 100 more people.
He said that if schools keep sending him students, he can meet Blum’s domestic manufacturing demand. “There’s capable people,” he said. “It’s just, they need to be trained.”
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