Report: Most Younger Workers Have No Plans to Pursue a Manufacturing Career

A new survey conducted by JMJ Phillip Executive Search in Detroit portends a future manufacturing labor crisis.

More than 63 percent (63.6 percent) of professionals aged 18 to 44 indicate they will not take a job in the manufacturing sector in 2022, according to JMJ Phillip’s latest Manufacturing Sector Outlook Survey.

“There is a stereotype among younger workers that the manufacturing sector is declining,” says Dennis Theodorou, managing director at JMJ Phillip Executive Search. “The pandemic exacerbated this even further with ongoing supply chain issues and manufacturing bottlenecks. As it deals with an aging workforce, the manufacturing sector must work to position itself as an attractive arena for younger workers to achieve financial security and career growth.”

Additional findings from the survey include:

• 6 percent of respondents indicate that they do not want to pursue a manufacturing career because it doesn’t fit their passion.
• Despite an unwillingness to accept a job in manufacturing, 58.6 percent of respondents believe there are good jobs available in this sector.
• More than 80 percent of respondents have a neutral or positive outlook on the manufacturing sector for the next five years.

The JMJ Phillip survey also finds that peripheral industries are not any more attractive to younger workers, with 58 percent of respondents unwilling to take a corporate supply chain or logistics job in 2022.

“Younger workers today are changing their expectations of the workplace,” Theodorou says. “The manufacturing sector must keep up with this by offering excitement, opportunities for career development, professional growth and innovation. While our data does indicate a more positive outlook long term, there is immediate work that needs to happen to correct current perceptions.”

The JMJ Phillip 2022 Manufacturing Sector Outlook Survey was conducted in January 2022 and surveyed approximately 500 U.S. workers aged 18-44. Respondents represent all 50 U.S. states, focusing on the major metro areas in each state. To view the complete survey findings, visit jmjphillip.com.