Economy
FMA: Fabricators' Top Concern? Finding Skilled Workers
Written by Tim Triplett
October 25, 2019
Finding skilled workers is the top concern among respondents to The Fabricator’s 2019 “What Keeps You Up at Night?” survey.
Published by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, the survey asked fabrication company executives to rank their concerns from a list that included availability of credit, availability of skilled workers, consolidation of competition and customers, cost of raw materials, economy, erosion of manufacturing as a viable career choice, foreign competition, government regulations/policy/tariffs, growth of federal government debt, health care costs, lack of business strategy, and meeting increased customer expectations. Forty-five percent listed “availability of skilled workers” as a top concern, the highest percentage since this issue started dominating this survey question in 2011, reported the FMA.
Attracting young people to careers in manufacturing is an ongoing challenge and, with unemployment so low, the lack of manpower poses a threat to industry growth. Fifty-four percent of the survey respondents said they were going to devote major resources to finding and retaining skilled labor over the next three to five years.
Read the full report at: Where’s the Next Generation of Fabricators?
Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Economy
ISM September survey captures deepening manufacturing gloom
The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) latest monthly report on manufacturing reflects a bleak view of American industry in September.
Key industries concerned over government shutdown’s impact on steel, manufacturing
Trade groups cautioned that a prolonged shutdown could strain US industry.
Chicago Business Barometer catches cold winds of contraction in September
The Chicago Business Barometer's September reading indicates a softening in overall business activity in the Midwest for the third consecutive month, with new orders and backlogs retreating further.
Metalforming market sentiment takes a dive in September: PMA
Metalforming manufacturers anticipate a decrease in near-term conditions, according to the Precision Metalforming Association's (PMA) Business Conditions Report for September.
AIA: Architecture firms still under pressure
Architecture firms reported a modest improvement in billings through August, yet business conditions remained soft, according to the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI) release from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek.