US Manufacturing Industry Saddled by Advanced Job Needs and Performance-Based Losses

The U.S. economy added a less-than-robust 142,000 jobs in August, which, though higher than the 89,000 added in July, highlighted some concerning sectors, including manufacturing. And while the unemployment rate slid lower, from 4.3 percent to 4.2 percent, the manufacturing sector shed 24,000 jobs last month. However, one of the more significant concerns for some about the industry in the United States is more than just the loss of available positions; it’s also about finding people with the skills to fill jobs related to the skill sets needed to transition to Manufacturing 4.0. “There’s a lot of buzzwords out there, and right now, it’s manufacturing or industry 4.0, known as the fourth industrial revolution. It’s more about connectivity, analytics, and advanced manufacturing like 3D printing,” said Steve Plumb, a manufacturing industry expert who has spent most of his career in the automotive industry and is now the editor-in-chief for media at the Society for Manufacturing Engineers....