U.S. manufacturers plan to move production from Asia back to the Americas ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to power, in part due to his trade policies and the measures introduced by the Biden administration. The instability of the world situation that has occurred is thought to be a contributing factor.
The paper said the return to production signals a shift away from reliance on China to sourcing more labor and materials in the U.S., creating a job surplus in U.S. manufacturing and an increase in the number of skilled workers in the U.S. It is said to be creating a competition. wall street journal.
Japanese machinery makers Kubota Tractors, IKEA and Lego are among the manufacturers planning reshoring and strategic onshoring moves, WSJ reported. New semiconductor and electric vehicle battery manufacturing plants supported by federal grants will open in Ohio, Nevada, Georgia, Idaho, Arizona, Texas and other states over the next few years It is planned.
Some U.S. steelmakers have also voiced support for President Trump’s tariffs, believing they would increase profits, strengthen competitiveness and create more jobs. (Related article: Multi-billion dollar shoe company accelerates production shift from China after Trump victory)
a KPMG survey We found that 76% of executives are prioritizing reshoring in the next few years. But one hurdle for manufacturing to come back under the Trump administration may be getting young Americans interested in the jobs.
“Our biggest concern as we continue to be in the reshoring business is who is going to do the work,” Craig Jones, CEO of Jones Plastics and Engineering, told the Journal. .
Jones, a family-owned plastics company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is reportedly one of many manufacturers struggling to find additional skilled workers.
According to WSJ, about 13 million people currently work in U.S. factories. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), about 65% of U.S. manufacturers are struggling to fill talent, with about 100,000 positions unfilled each month for most of 2024 and 2024 to 2033. It is estimated that approximately 1.9 million of the 3.8 million manufacturing industry job openings may not be filled during this period. investigation quoted by outlet revealed.
As baby boomers increasingly retire, many manufacturing industries are facing a shortage of skilled workers. They also challenge the idea, ingrained among young potential workers, that manufacturing jobs are dirty and unskilled, even as the industry increasingly leans toward clean, sophisticated manufacturing and skilled labor. The newspaper reported that the company was struggling.
“Everyone wants to understand how to attract young people, because it’s difficult,” Stacey McCoy, vice president of research at EmployBridge, an industrial staffing firm, told the magazine.
The struggle is causing some automakers to try to bring back highly skilled retirees, McCoy added.
“They’re unstable, they’re unstable,” Jones’ son and chief operating officer Ryan, 39, told the Journal of many of the younger employees. “The chances of them staying there aren’t that great.”
