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Popular college majors in America include business, engineering, nursing, psychology and biology but there are millions of jobs opening up in a field that may not require a college degree and the shortage of workers in it is threatening to hurt the U.S. economy.
Since last year, that economy has been roaring back from the shutdowns of the COVID pandemic. It's missing workers in the field of manufacturing. Welders are needed. Machinists are needed. Companies have had problems filling these jobs for years and they say it's only gotten worse.
According to a study published Tuesday by the Deloitte Professional Services Network and the Manufacturing Institute, more than 2 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by the year 2030. Leaders in the field say that many young Americans don't want to work in factories or don't know that there are jobs available there.
They say some mistakenly believe robots will take over these positions or that they'll be outsourced to other countries. It is true that robots are seeing increased use in factories. One start-up company says it's developed a robotic welding system. But a Manufacturing Institute executive says people are still needed because they're more creative and can develop solutions to future problems.
The U.S. unemployment rate, the percentage of workers who don't have a job, is still significantly higher than the record lows it saw before COVID hit America. But manufacturing companies say they're having trouble filling even entry level positions that don't require previous training.
Part of the problem there is companies like Chewy and Amazon, large warehouse and distribution centers, are attracting entry level workers away from factories, even though experts say manufacturers can often give more and better long-term opportunities.
Some analysts say they need to do more outreach to let people know where the jobs are. In the month of March, American manufacturing hit its highest level in 37 years according to the Reuters News Agency.
