News & Trends

IPC Study Reveals Labor Shortage for Electronic Manufacturing Industry

Published

9 years ago

March 9, 2015

Lori Leaman Screen Printing March 2015 Issue

IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries (www.ipc.org) has published the IPC Study of the North American Labor Pool for Electronics Manufacturing, a report based on data from 107 US and Canadian electronics manufacturers, as well as secondary research that explores an industry labor shortage.

Seventy-two percent of manufacturers responded that they believe there is a labor shortage, and two-thirds cited difficulties in recruiting production workers and engineers in the past two years. Data showed that companies most affected by the shortage included PCB fabricators and EMS companies; those located in the Midwest and eastern regions; and mid-size companies.

The study points to an aging workforce as a primary source of the problem, with industry shrinkage and job loss in recent decades swaying young workers’ perceptions. It also reveals information on recruitment strategies as well as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the current environment.

The full report can be purchased here.

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