Written by: Emily Carter
The manufacturing sector is weathering the economic recovery and remains one of the most important industries in our economy. Employment in our sector has a large impact on our nation's overall economic improvement. The news has been reporting some positive trends for the manufacturing community lately. Is a job boom in American manufacturing for real? Statistics are showing it could very well be.
In California, the demand for employees in skilled manufacturing positions is high. In fact, California ranks in the top five states (along with Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Illinois and Indiana) where the demand is highest for skilled workers. California has the highest number of manufacturing employment in the entire United States.
Manufacturing employers range from small parts makers to mid-sized and large assemblers for the automotive, aerospace and industrial metals sectors. The most sought-after employees are machinists, tool and die makers, computer aided machine operators and similar job specialties.
Manufacturing jobs are also highly represented in the Southern California region. In Orange County, manufacturing was the largest employer in 2010, employing 142,000 workers. This sector was ahead of food services, health care and retail – all of which fall under the pay range that manufacturing jobs offer.
Nationwide, manufacturing jobs are booming. Manufacturing was the fourth-largest employer in the US, employing 10.9 million workers. As of March 2010, there were 10.9 million manufacturing employees in the nation.
Employment in the manufacturing industry is viable and in demand. The average US manufacturing worker received $77,186 annually, including pay and benefits. Also, 27.4% of manufacturing employees 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
US manufacturing workers are the most productive in the world, and the employees working in the manufacturing sector contribute to the nation’s higher wages, living standards and demand for housing.
Still, the challenge of finding adequate talent can be a barrier to manufacturers who want to grow their business. CMTC is conducting a survey to identify the “skills gap” in the manufacturing industry in Southern California and needs your insight on the specifics of this gap for future training needs. If you wish to receive a copy of the final results, please provide your name and email address at the end of the survey.
CMTC can help close the “skills gap” by locating hard to find skilled workers and provide classroom and hands on training for executives, managers and line workers to build the foundation for a high performing team. For more information on Workforce Development, click here.
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