A Snapshot of the Advanced Manufacturing Labor Market in Utah

By. Jenni Abbott, EdD Assistant Vice President, Workforce Training & Education Salt Lake Community College, Workforce & Economic Development

A cross industries in the U.S., there are 74 unemployed workers for every 100 job openings. The current balance of supply and demand favors job seekers and current employees. This gap contributes to the number of job applicants who don’t show up for interviews and the number of employees who are resigning from current jobs (The Great Resignation, EMSI, 2021). Some employers report that workers are moving to different companies for 25 cents per hour in additional wages. Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) collects and analyzes data from jobs posted across the internet. The following statistics are from job postings for manufacturing production occupations in Utah:

Data

• More than 900 unique manufacturing jobs are posted each month in Utah. On average, there are 490 monthly hires statewide, leaving 46% of jobs unfilled.

• One in five employees in the manufacturing industry is over the age of 55.

• In the last six months, average advertised wages in the industry have increased from $23.57/hour to $28.98/hour (as of October 2021).

• 71% of manufacturing jobs posted in the last year required either a high school diploma or no educational requirement. Nearly half the postings (46%) did not require experience.

• The Gross Regional Product (GRP) of the Utah manufacturing industry rose from $15.3 billion in 2010 to $22.9 billion in 2020.

• The top skills in Utah manufacturing job postings over the last six months are shown below. (Fewer than half of job applicants listed these skills in submitted resumes):

Technical Skills

1. Good Manufacturing Practices

2. Auditing

3. Quality Control

4. Machinery

5. Corrective & preventive action (CAPA)

Common (Soft) Skills

1. Communications

2. Management

3. Operations

4. Troubleshooting

5. Detail Oriented

(EMSI Occupational Overview, Job Posting Data, Advanced Manufacturing, Utah, December 2021)7 MFGUTAH

Retention

The current workforce environment has led to increased focus on employee retention. In a recent survey by Workstep.com, 83% of manufacturing employees reported working at a company for “shorter” or “much shorter” time periods than originally intended. With increased worker shortage there is also an increase of overworked employees and low morale in a “rotating door” effect (5 ways to improve retention in manufacturing, Workstep Blog). Every company has different needs and no single solution will work in this high turnover market. Soliciting employee feedback, check-ins on management processes, professional development for managers, and willingness to address identified needs can help. Four simple ways of addressing turnover are listed in the table below. Proactive efforts to recruit, train, and retain talent will continue to build on the advanced manufacturing growth in Utah.

Maintain a Safe Work Environment

• Automate safety procedures

• Make it easy to report problems

• Respond quickly

Build Peer-to-Peer Relationships

• Create a culture of collaboration

• Identify Mentors

• Support off-the-clock team bonding

Practice Regular Recognition

• Make employee recognition accessible to everyone

• Use rewards for added impact

• Pay attention to analytics

Support Career Growth

• Encourage managers to check-in about long-term goals

• Offer opportunities for professional development

(How to reduce turnover in your manufacturing workforce, FOND)

(Six occupations are included in the analysis for this article. Though not comprehensive, these six represent a variety of production job titles in the Utah advanced manufacturing industry: Molders, shapers, & casters, except metal & plastic; Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, metal & plastic; Industrial engineering technologists and technicians; calibration technologists & technicians, except drafters; industrial machinery mechanics; industrial production managers).