The Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity (WCMP) released its second annual Wisconsin Manufacturing Report last month. The report reveals an overall optimistic outlook from manufacturers across the state, while also highlighting their top pain points.
Unsurprisingly, workforce issues top the list of concerns for most manufacturers, with 84% of participants saying it is difficult to find qualified workers and 56% currently looking to fill open positions.
The WCMP, in collaboration with WMEP Manufacturing Solutions and the University of Wisconsin-Stout Manufacturing Outreach Center, gathered these insights from 400 in-depth interviews with manufacturers across Wisconsin and five focus groups.
I spoke to Buckley Brinkman, WCMP executive director, who said the report offers vital insight that helps keep manufacturers competitive in their industry.
“It’s really important for manufacturers to understand where the industry is and where their peers are,” Brinkman said. “And also for policymakers and anyone interested in manufacturing to get a view that’s balanced across the state.”
The results show that larger manufacturers struggle with workforce issues more than smaller firms. As a result, automation enabled by new technology is becoming a key part of those larger companies’ strategies. The list of concerns showed a lessening of supply chain issues and increased attention on inflation and energy costs, as the conflict in Ukraine and local supply uncertainty brought energy issues into focus, Brinkman said.
A couple key findings include:
- COVID-19 is still affecting the industry. Only 18% of manufacturers report a complete recovery, 39% say they are mostly recovered and 27% are recovered by less than half.
- Supply chain concerns fell from the top spot in last year’s study, while 49% of manufacturers mentioned inflation as an extremely important issue (up from 41% in 2021) and those citing energy costs nearly doubled to 30% from 17% in 2021.
Make sure to pick up the November issue of Insight on Manufacturing, available later this month, for another look at some of the report’s key findings. Visit insightonmfg.com to learn more.
