Overview
- Jim Farley used a November appearance on the Office Hours: Business Edition podcast to argue the United States lacks enough trained workers across essential trades.
- He said more than 1 million jobs remain open in areas such as emergency services, trucking, plumbing, factory work, and other skilled roles.
- At Ford, he reported roughly 5,000 mechanic openings that can reach about $120,000 in pay after multi‑year training, highlighting a strained pipeline.
- Framing the gap as a national security issue, he warned that tech companies cannot build tanks and planes and contrasted the U.S. workforce with China.
- He pointed to Ford’s end of a two‑tier wage system and rapid ratification of union agreements in the U.S. and Canada, while urging broader public‑private education efforts to rebuild vocational training.