In today’s business world, finding the right workers is a common challenge for almost every industry.

Many companies are trying various approaches to boost their workforce, from new hiring method to retaining employees.

Fortunately, for the manufacturing sector, there’s a solution that doesn’t involve the complexities and high costs of hiring campaigns: Automation.

Facts We Know About the Worker Shortage

Baby Boomers are Coming to Retirement Age

A large percent of manufacturing industry workers is made up of older Americans who are now reaching the age where they may be considering retirement.

The pandemic may have sped up that process for a lot of these people.

The average rate of retirement amongst people who are 55 and older before the pandemic was around 2.6%. Since the pandemic has started, that rate has increased to 3.3%.

In these past few years there were at least 500,000 more retirements than expected based on pre-pandemic trends.

The Worker Pool is Shrinking

A portion of the shrinking worker pool is associated with these baby boomer retirements, but the larger problem comes from the fact that there aren’t enough people to fill those spaces left.

The generation that is retiring currently is much larger than those that are following it.

This difference in generational volume is adding to many of the gaps that we are seeing.

How Automation Can Help

Automation provides a lifeline to industries struggling with the labor shortage. Here’s how it can help:

Filling in the Gaps

Automation can step in to fill job vacancies that are difficult to find human workers for, ensuring production can continue even as the workforce declines.

Safety and Efficiency

Dangerous and labor-intensive jobs can be given to robots. this not only reduces the risk of workplace injuries but also enhances overall productivity.

Skill Enhancement

Workers can be upskilled to operate and maintain the new automation, ensuring they remain a valuable asset to the company.

Increased Competitiveness

Companies that embrace automation can maintain a competitive edge by boosting their efficiency, reducing costs, and meeting customer demands with agility.

In essence, automation can help bridge the labor gap, safeguard the feature of manufacturing, and create a more balanced and productive workforce.

Embracing automation is not a choice but a necessity for manufacturers looking to ensure the sustainability and growth of their industry in the face of evolving workforce dynamics.

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Zeta Group Engineering is a robotic integrator and conveyor manufacturer based in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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