A complex challenge

The US manufacturing sector, a $ 2.3 trillion cornerstone of the economy, faces a severe labor shortage that threatens its ability to meet demand and remain competitive. Finding the right workers is yesterday’ s, today’ s, and tomorrow’ s problem. Manufacturing was hit hard during the pandemic and struggled to recover. However, now that it has recovered roughly to pre-pandemic levels manufacturers are struggling to return to growth, largely due to a talent gap. Lack of appropriately skilled workers could result in 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, a gap that could cost as much as $ 1 trillion annually by that same year.