- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Factory workers and lawyers
- By Vicki Bell
- May 25, 2011
But, as the article states, there's a catch.
"The quality of the jobs the U.S. is creating right now in terms of pay, benefits, hours, and skills leaves a lot to be desired. The problem is not only the depth of the recession and the sluggishness of the recovery. It also reflects the changing structure of the U.S. economy, as more manufacturing operations shift to overseas locations, while service businesses, which often pay much less, take a more dominant role in job creation.
"Previously high-paying jobs in manufacturing have gone the way of the Edsel. U.S. factories lost 3 million jobs from 2000 to 2004, jobs that did not return during the boom leading up to the recession, along with another 2.2 million from 2007 to 2010. Those are unlikely to come back, as well. Manufacturing jobs were 20 percent of private-sector payrolls in 1990, 15 percent in 2000, and just over 10 percent in April. Large multinational corporations have cut 2.9 million U.S. jobs over the past decade, while adding 2.4 million workers to their overseas operations."
These are big losses and big news. But that doesn't mean that manufacturing jobs are not being created in this country. Small numbers are being added here and there, such as the 65 jobs Cadence Inc. will add as a result of its $15.9 million expansion of its Staunton, Va., operation. Once known as Specialty Blades, the company, which has operated in Staunton for 25 years, makes cutting and piercing tools for industrial and medical uses.
In nearby Waynesboro, Va., PPI-Time Zero Inc., is adding 65 new jobs as it invests $1.15 million to establish operations at Solutions Place. The contract electronics manufacturer is based in Paterson, N.J.
These two businesses, along with others like them, are helping create manufacturing jobs, albeit it in small numbers. Some larger businesses are adding jobs in greater numbers.
As reported on foxbusiness.com, GM is adding 2,500 hourly and salaried jobs at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which will manufacture the new Chevrolet Malibu and the next-generation Impala, as well as electric cars — the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera.
Quoted in the article is GM North America President Mark Reuss, who said "Filling this plant with new work is very satisfying because GM is dedicated to helping rebuild this city."
The jobs will be filled by laid-off UAW members with the possibility of new hires to follow.
The additions are part of a plan GM announced earlier this month to create or retain about 4,000 jobs and invest $2 billion in 17 manufacturing facilities in eight states. So far, the company has added jobs in Bowling Green, Ky.; Toledo, Ohio; and Flint and Bay City, Mich.
But are these manufacturing jobs on par with those of years past?
According to the Fiscal Times article, "pay in manufacturing is not what it used to be. Hourly earnings of production and non-supervisory workers, which had held well above the private-sector average for decades, slipped below the average in 2006, and the ratio continues to trend gradually lower. In 2004, factory pay was about 3 percent above average. In April it was 2.4 percent below the $19.37-per-hour private-sector mark for production workers."
If it's any consolation, even some lawyers are making less. As reported in the New York Times, "the nation’s biggest law firms are creating a second tier of workers, stripping pay and prestige from one of the most coveted jobs in the business world.
"Make no mistake: These are full-fledged lawyers, not paralegals, and they do the same work traditional legal associates do. But they earn less than half the pay of their counterparts — usually around $60,000 — and they know from the outset they will never make partner."
These lawyers reportedly are part of a fundamental shift in the 50-year-old business model for big firms.
"Besides making less, these associates work fewer hours and travel less than those on the grueling partner track, making these jobs more family-friendly. And this new system probably prevents jobs from going offshore.
"But as has been the case in other industries, a two-tier system threatens to breed resentments among workers in both tiers, given disparities in pay and workload expectations."
Who would have thought that factory workers and lawyers would one day have common job concerns?
Follow fabcomlady on Twitter.
Become a fan of The Fabricator® on Facebook.
subscribe now
The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
start your free subscriptionAbout the Author
Vicki Bell
2135 Point Blvd
Elgin, IL 60123
815-227-8209
- Stay connected from anywhere
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Welder.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Tube and Pipe Journal.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator en Español.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 03/26/2024
- Running Time:
- 67:51
This week on The Fabricator Podcast, Jason Becker, host of the Arc Junkies Podcast and owner of Underground...
- Trending Articles
USS Midway’s tuition-free welding program a win-win
San Diego landmark becomes floating classroom for student welders
K&S celebrates 50 years in business
Guiding metal fabrication’s automation transformation
Increasing revenue by applying production concepts to sales and marketing
- Industry Events
Coil Processing Workshop & Tours
- April 2 - 3, 2024
- Corpus Christi, TX
GOLF4MFG South
- April 15, 2024
- Charlotte, NC
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY