Tech advancements continued to reshape the manufacturing labor outlook.
Smart factories and artificial intelligence integration are boosting productivity and customization. However, these trends have often been at odds with the industry’s ability to retain and attract talent.
There were approximately 465,000 manufacturing job openings in October 2024, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, and more than 55% of respondents to NAM’s Q4 2024 survey cited the “inability to attract and retain employees” as a top business challenge.
A closer look at this challenge, however, reveals that a bigger obstacle is not just in finding talent, but specifically in attracting workers who can understand the new technologies dominating changing workplaces.
“The growing adoption of industry 4.0 technologies is pushing demand in these positions, yet, manufacturers are struggling to find workers with that required expertise in the advanced technologies, such as auto automation, robotics, data science, etc.” said Society for Manufacturing Engineers Senior Business Advisor and Director of Sales Operations Denise Leipold.
Whether it’s repair or maintenance workers, testers or data analysts, a growing number of manufacturing roles are expected to command a basic understanding of the new equipment and environments they’re working in.
On the other hand, workers are looking for opportunities that are expansive in the types of training offered, and importantly, in their contributions to future career options, says National Institute of Standards and Technology Education and Workforce Development Manager Brad Conrad. And today, many workers don’t see manufacturing jobs — especially ones that require increasingly niche skills — as meeting those needs.
Read on for a glimpse into the manufacturing job market in 2025, including what manufacturers say are their greatest labor and skills needs.
Jobs are reflecting evolving shop floors
Workers must acquaint themselves with new knowledge areas to keep up with changing technologies, including AI and data analytics. While this imperative has long been accepted as a nice bonus, it’s quickly become an essential priority for workers in advanced manufacturing.
“The ability for workers to either be comfortable with technology or to use technology around a specific process is becoming more important,” Conrad said.
According to Leipold, key occupations that manufacturers are looking to fill are maintenance and repair workers.
“[These roles see] a vast numb of job openings — about 160,000 in 2024 — and [have] persistent gaps because of a high turnover rate,” said Leipold. “This is all driven, obviously, by advances in technology adoption. People need to be able to maintain and repair more complex types of machines, such as 3D printers, robotics, automation equipment, and understand how that type of equipment can be sustained within an operation.”
People on the front lines of manufacturing work, such as inspectors, testers and sorters are also in high demand due to their high turnover rates, Leipold added. As with maintenance work, these roles increasingly demand technical expertise.
“What I’m hearing is that manufacturers, specifically advanced manufacturers, really put a value on people who are generalists that might have a couple of tech skills and can do lots of things,” Conrad said.
Other in-demand openings reflect the industry’s trend toward advanced tech in a more pronounced way.
Computer numerical control programmers, for example, are becoming “increasingly critical,” according to Leipold.
In one survey conducted by MxD in October 2023 about the industry’s highest priority roles, skills and competencies for talent, the majority of respondents noted a need for data-focused functions such as data analytics and data annotation, cybersecurity analytics and supply chain compliance, and augmented reality and virtual reality,” said MxD’s Director of Workforce Programs Angela Accurso.
Upskilling and the perception battle
The misconception that manufacturing is dark, dirty and dangerous — has long plagued the industry’s ability to expand its talent pool, according to Conrad.
But today’s manufacturers will additionally have to address applicants who look beyond safe working environments and seek out “a connection to purpose, flexibility, development and an inclusive culture that lives their values,” said American Transmission Company Director of Talent Management Kristy Rupprecht.
“It's becoming very clear that workers know their value, want a variety of options to do their training and want to make sure that the things that they're spending time on not just support the company, but also support them,” Conrad said. “Workers are looking for opportunities that are helpful long-term.”
The first step in attracting such applicants is to draw a clearer connection between the industry and people’s existing interests and talents.
“Manufacturing is a tough industry for people to see how their interests in products or industries, and their skills and abilities, equate to manufacturing,” Leipold said. “You don’t have a lot of people who might say, ‘I love cars’ or ‘I love my iPhone,’ and then understand how that type of interest equates to a career in manufacturing.”
That kind of familiarity — or lack of it — can often make or break a potential applicant’s desire to pursue a role in manufacturing in more ways than one.
“One of the biggest challenges is not just educating potential workers, but also educating the support networks and communities of workers,” Conrad said. “Let’s say there was somebody who thought, ‘Oh, maybe I could go into advanced manufacturing,’ But their parents or friendships don’t see that as a viable career pathway — that might stop [that potential career] right there.”
The next step is to make upskilling accessible and show employees the usefulness of such skills beyond their immediate roles.
Outside of structured learning environments, workers might consider stackable certificates or micro certificates, Conrad said. He added that many programs often offer online or hybrid learning models.
Importantly, workers should be confident that they can carry such skills with them “throughout their lives,” and that they can secure “a lot of options in the future for advancement,” Conrad said.
