The U.S. manufacturing sector is adding jobs again, with manufacturers increasing employment by 72,000 since December, but many new positions require college degrees, technical expertise or advanced training, The Wall Street Journal reports.
As factories become more automated, companies are shifting away from traditional production jobs toward engineering, management, data analysis and equipment maintenance. From 2015 to 2025, manufacturers eliminated 244,000 jobs in production occupations while adding 358,000 positions in management and business and financial operations, according to Labor Department data.
Arizona-based Swift Coat, which produces antireflective glass coatings for satellites, illustrates the shift. Its highly automated production line could allow the company to hire fewer technicians and more engineers, potentially paying higher wages without necessarily reducing overall labor spending.
Industries such as aerospace, semiconductors, computers and electrical equipment are increasingly driving manufacturing employment, with many positions offering higher pay and more complex work than traditional assembly-line jobs. However, rising education and training requirements create barriers for workers who previously could enter manufacturing directly after high school, raising concerns about access to well-paying jobs.
Employers also face the risk of skilled-worker shortages as technological advances outpace the available workforce. Industry groups and educational institutions are expanding training programs to address the gap.
The manufacturing trade group SME promotes technology-focused education in middle schools, while Arizona State University is training equipment technicians for Taiwan-based chipmaker TSMC’s growing Arizona operations, with plans to increase enrollment in the program from about 170 people to 800 next year.
Workforce development organizations are also preparing workers for expanding advanced manufacturing operations.
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