In January 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. manufacturers had more than 600,000 vacancies. Two contributing factors include a wave of baby boomers reaching retirement age and a dearth of younger workers considering careers in manufacturing. ABI Research last week predicted that the global installed base of commercial and industrial robots could reach 16.3 million in 2030 as manufacturers attempt to offset the baby boomer exodus.
“Companies that take a step back will view the demographic shifts as an opportunity to revamp processes and operations,” stated Michael Larner, a distinguished analyst at ABI Research. “It is not about technology filling former employees’ roles but how technology augments people’s working lives.”
“The nature of manufacturing work will change with roles for robot programmers and for developing models for machine learning tools coming to the fore,” he added.
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