Building a bridge between jobs and people
Manufacturing is the largest of the 20 sectors of Ohio’s economy, including government, with 16.63% of total output in 2018*.
As such, it has a tremendous need for talent. Since the launch of the OMA’s workforce services in 2016, the biggest constraint to industry growth has been a significant disparity between the number of available jobs in manufacturing and the number of qualified applicants for them. Despite the unemployment rate spikes that followed the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers continue to report difficulty filling available jobs.
- Ongoing baby boomer retirements and decreasing population
- Rapid industrial technology advancements, leading to mismatches in the curriculum, instructor capacity and equipment within the education system
- Linger misconceptions about the industry as well as competitive recruitment from other sectors
- Ripple effects of COVID-19, which are disrupting normal job seeking and hiring, as well as new and ongoing employment barriers (e.g., lack of available childcare and transportation)
Risk if not resolved: Jobs will be filled outside of Ohio.
*According to the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, Manufacturing Counts, 2020-2021