Overview

• The U.S. manufacturing industry is projected to add 3.8 million jobs by 2033, primarily driven by retiring baby boomers, according to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute.
• Only 14% of Generation Z workers express interest in factory jobs, citing low pay, safety concerns, and inflexible hours as major deterrents, per Soter Analytics.
• Gen Z is increasingly turning to trade careers like plumbing and carpentry, which offer higher pay, flexibility, and independence compared to factory work.
• Manufacturing wages average $51,890 annually, significantly below the national average salary of $66,600, further discouraging younger workers.
• Stricter immigration policies under the Trump administration have reduced the labor pool historically supplemented by immigrant workers, exacerbating the workforce gap.