Politicians talk about creating manufacturing jobs but do people really want them?

See Help Wanted: U.S. Factories Seek Workers for the Nearshoring Boom-Manufacturers say hiring is one of their big challenges as they try to meet demand for American-made products by Paul Berger of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"For most of this year (2024), 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."

"73% of U.S.-based executives said their companies have brought or are bringing back more of their supply chains to the Americas because of geopolitical and economic uncertainty."

"Manufacturers say factory work has an image problem. They say teenagers think of jobs in plants as dirty and unskilled, even though factories have become cleaner and more reliant on skilled workers operating high-tech machinery."

"McCoy [Stacy McCoy, vice president of research at industrial staffing firm, Employbridge] said younger workers aren’t as amenable as older generations to shift work that can involve 12-hour days. They are also more likely to want a job that offers some remote work or a better work-life balance. She said some automakers are so desperate for workers they are bringing back retirees to work temporary, part-time jobs. “Once they’re gone those skills are gone,” she said." 

"Some manufacturers say high schools push too many students toward four-year bachelor’s degrees while neglecting associate degrees that can be more appropriate, as well as more lucrative, for some students."

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