- Ford's CEO continued his warning about a skilled workers shortage in the US in a coming podcast.
- His guest added, "People don't care about a shortage of plumbers until their toilet doesn't flush."
- Nearly half of manufacturers say hiring is a top challenge, industry data shows.
Ford CEO Jim Farley says the US is in a "really vulnerable place" due to ongoing skilled worker shortages.
"I would argue the most vulnerable we've ever been," he said in a new episode of his podcast, "Drive." The automaker shared a transcript ahead of the episode's Friday release with Business Insider.
For the past year, the Detroit automaker's top boss has publicly raised concerns about a shortage of skilled workers, including construction workers, manufacturing employees, and tradespeople. Farley has referred to this segment of the workforce as the "essential economy."
Industry data reflects similar concerns. Nearly half of US manufacturers say attracting and retaining workers is a top challenge, according to the National Association of Manufacturers' latest quarterly survey. A 2023 study cited by the US Census Bureau found the US could face 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2030.
Farley said the impact of those blue-collar shortages could ripple across the broader economy.
"Problems in this vital sector impact all of us with higher costs, longer wait times, and fewer opportunities," Farley said on the podcast.
His guest, Mike Rowe, the host of the television series "Dirty Jobs," agreed: "Those people don't care about a shortage of plumbers until their toilet doesn't flush."
Ford and Farley have been trying to attract more talent over the past year. In January, the company told Business Insider about plans to attract new workers, including offering incentives like free Carhartt gear, and to invest in a Detroit-based ToolBank USA location. In September, the company organized a workforce development summit that convened industry leaders and policymakers to address the trades pipeline crisis.
"We stopped investing in the trades," Farley said at the September event. "If Henry Ford saw what has become of us, I think he'd be kind of mad."
Ford is not alone. Rival Detroit automaker General Motors told Business Insider it has invested nearly $200 million over the past year to expand training programs and apprenticeships to grow its workforce.
