Within the foundry industry, unskilled workers perform a variety of essential roles in the production process and operation of a foundry. Each is vitally important to the continued success of the foundry industry. Even though America depends on manufacturing and manufacturing depends on us, our industry has been saddled with a shortage of unskilled workers for almost a decade. This persistent labor shortage is compounded by the fact that we are in a global economy. F oundries have seen an erosion in our industries business to offshore competition, where there is an abundant source of cheap labor.
Price is obviously a factor, but so is our ability to produce and deliver.
When our customers are experiencing concerns about our ability to deliver the product, whether perceived or real, they have opted to migrate to offshore sources. We know that the lower costs associated with fewer regulations and an abundance of employable labor further stimulate this migration. The Challenge of Filling Unskilled Positions Large and small foundries are concerned about both the shortage and quality of America s workforce. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers regarding hiring and retaining good workers, over 60 percent responded that employees lack basic job skills such as arriving on time and staying at work all day. Moreover, a recent survey of foundry executives revealed that for the past three years that shortage of labor continues to be our number one concern.