U.S. Manufacturing Is Adding Jobs Again, but the Hiring Rules Have Changed by Konrad Putzier
While factory employment is on the rise, a shift toward high-tech automation is creating roles with greater barriers to entry. The U.S. is adding manufacturing jobs again. The catch: You might need a college degree to get one. That shift has big ramifications for the U.S. economy. Higher-skill jobs tend to pay better and create greater profits for their employers, boosting growth. But because these roles require more education, companies risk a skilled-worker shortage if training programs don’t keep pace. Between 2015 and 2025, U.S. manufacturers shed 244,000 jobs in so-called production occupations like assemblers and machine operators, according to Labor Department data. Over the same period, they added 358,000 jobs in management and business and financial operations. One factor driving the change is automation: Robots have replaced many shop-floor workers, but not managers and engineers, increasing their share of the workforce. U.S. Manufacturing Is Adding Jobs Again, but the Hiring Rules Have Changed – WSJ
