Top 5 Reasons to Work in Manufacturing

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The U.S. economy's recovery from the pandemic was much stronger than initially thought. By August 2022, America regained all the jobs that had been lost since April 2020 and the manufacturing industry was a critically important component of that.

One of the most important domestic industries in terms of helping maintain a strong national economy, U.S. manufacturing is experiencing a rebound, with companies adding workers amid high consumer demand for products. In fact, specialists say this industry has the capacity of hiring even more than current volumes but the main difficulty is hiring skilled workers when the unemployment rate is around 3.7 percent. 


There's a big opportunity for you, if you're considering getting a job in the manufacturing industry. Here we're listing our top 5 reasons for you to start your career in this field:   

 

1. Career opportunities are immediately available

If you’re just starting in the job market or thinking about a career change, there are many entry-level positions available, including apprenticeships, which often include on-the-job training. Free training means you can start a career without some type of student debt.


2. Variety of positions

Manufacturing plays a huge role in modern society - think of clothing and textiles, petroleum, chemicals, electronics, transportation, food, beverage, etc. And within each of these sectors, there are plenty of positions ranging from inventory, production, maintenance, engineering and others. This means you can move across departments, learn new skills and build cross-functional experience.


3. Stability

This is an industry that is always hiring and where employers want to retain their skilled workers. It's such an important sector that even when so many industries were forced to shut down during the pandemic, manufacturing remained open. 


4. Money

There's a misconception that manufacturing jobs don't pay well. In fact, manufacturing workers earn 13% percent more in hourly compensation (wages and benefits) than comparable workers earn in the rest of the private sector.


5. Opportunity for women

This is an industry still dominated by men, but also increasingly open for female workers. While women make up nearly half of the total U.S. labor pool, only 30% are employed in manufacturing industries, and only 1 in 4 are leaders in manufacturing. There is room for improvement here, since women are projected to overtake men in the workforce any time now. The challenge for employers is how to attract female talent - a significant number of manufacturers are currently putting effort to get women on board through dedicated programs. So if you're a female worker exploring new career paths, check out what manufacturers in your area have to offer.

 


In terms of public perception, 64% of people who have worked in the manufacturing industry or know someone who has worked, would say that manufacturing jobs are interesting and rewarding. Keen to get started? The U.S. Census Bureau has prepared a lot of useful content around the manufacturing industry that will help you know more about this field and if you're interested in applying for a position, don't miss the available opportunities with Shiftfillers - check them out now