The Trump administration's goal to "revive American manufacturing" is coming up against "the stubborn obstacle of demographic reality," according to a new report by The New York Times.
There are currently 400,000 manufacturing jobs unfilled in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
One manufacturing CEO told the Times that "for every 20 positions, there’s one qualified candidate."
The National Association of Manufacturers says “difficulty attracting and retaining a quality work force has been consistently cited as a “top primary challenge” by American manufacturers since 2017.”
We spent three generations telling everybody that if they didn’t go to college, they are a loser … Now we are paying for it. We still need people to use their hands.”
What's making factory jobs so tough to fill?
Immigration crackdowns "may eliminate workers who could have filled those jobs."
U.S. job seekers prioritize "more flexible schedules or more comfortable working environments."
Many factory roles now require "extensive training and familiarity with software," making hiring workers "right out of high school" an expensive proposition that requires a significant amount of training.
While there's currently no shortage of college graduates who remain jobless, experts say college graduates “often do not have the right skills to be successful on a factory floor.”
What can be done?
Some executives are looking at reconfiguring job descriptions to "prioritize relevant experience over college degrees."
Others believe the key is to recruit younger, beginning the process when high school students are sophomores.
Read more via The New York Times
A new report by Payscale suggests "widespread misperceptions around fair pay" could lead employers to lose top talent.
According to Payscale, "68% of employees believe they’re underpaid, even when their compensation is at or above market rates."
Those employees who "believe they’re paid unfairly" are "45% more likely to look for a new role, regardless of their actual compensation," according to Payscale.
Despite rising salaries and improved pay transparency, employee misperceptions of unfair pay have surged. This suggests that employers' current communication strategies around compensation are falling short."
As recently as 2021, only 51% of "employees earning at or above market felt underpaid," a sign that "the gap between perceptions of fair pay and reality has grown significantly" in recent years.
Just a third (32%) of employees who "reported being paid unfairly" are "actually below market."
Of employees who are "paid above market, almost half (47%) believe they are underpaid."
Of employees who are paid "at market," 63% believe they are underpaid.
Read more via Payscale
The vast majority (93%) of U.S. hiring managers "say that it takes longer to hire workers than just two years ago," according to a new survey.
Highlights from Robert Half's survey of more than 2,200 U.S. hiring managers:
51% of hiring managers said it is "taking longer" to evaluate candidate applications.
47% said they are seeing "delays in checking references or conducting background checks".
43% said the process is being slowed by the process of scheduling and conducting interviews.
Just 57% of hiring managers said they “plan to hire through the end of the year, down from 63% in the first half of 2025.”
Read more via SIA
Less than six in ten workers under the age of 25 are satisfied with their jobs, according to a new survey by The Conference Board.
The Board noted a "widening generational divide in how happy workers are in their jobs."
57% of U.S. workers under the age of 25 say they are "satisfied with their jobs," compared to more than 72% of workers 55 years and older.
According to the report, "overall worker satisfaction" was up 5.7% -- "the largest single-year gain in the survey's history."
The only aberration was workers under 25 years of age, who saw a decline in job satisfaction over the past year.
While mid- and late-career workers are reaping the benefits of improved leadership, manageable workloads, and meaningful work, younger workers are still searching for the right culture fit. This highlights a need for more personalized strategies to engage early-career talent."
Read more via The Conference Board
According to The Wall Street Journal, a Nebraska meatpacking plant is taking a "novel" approach when it comes to attracting workers.
The Trump administration's immigration crackdown is impacting the meatpacking sector. According to the Center for Economic Policy and Research, "over half of all front-line meatpacking workers are immigrants."
North Platte, Nebraska was floundering as an "old railroad hub." It is now banking on a new slaughterhouse built by Sustainable Beef it hopes will provide an "economic jolt."
The question? Will Americans be willing to work in the meatpacking sector.
North Platte, Nebraska is hoping it can make meatpacking jobs more attractive to American workers by offering "ergonomic workstations and no night shift."
One worker at the new North Platte facility says they are making more than they "made as a convenience-store clerk, custodian or construction flagger."
The meatpacking sector has a reputation of "bloody, hazardous working conditions."
But officials hope the new facility will “appeal to locals who never would have considered doing such work.”
The facility’s single daytime shift lets employees attend their children’s sports games after work. The company touts ergonomic work stands and individual lockers—even the plentiful toilets are an upgrade from typical meat plants."
Read more via The Wall Street Journal
