Trump is bringing the factories back. Where are the workers?

Originally published by Washington Examiner.

Every factory that returns to American soil, every semiconductor plant that breaks ground, every shipyard that restarts production brings with it the same question: Where are the workers?

Under President Donald Trump, the United States is set to witness a new golden age of manufacturing. Tariffs have reshaped supply chains, while foreign direct investment is skyrocketing. In both site plans and groundbreakings, reshoring is a welcome reality. But that growth will be short-lived without American workers trained and ready for these jobs.

The problem is urgent. According to a recent survey, roughly 45% of manufacturers responded that “attracting and retaining a quality workforce” is one of their biggest challenges. As of August 2025, roughly 409,000 manufacturing jobs sat vacant. Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute project that 3.8 million new manufacturing workers will be needed by 2033, with as many as 1.9 million positions at risk of going unfilled if current trends hold.

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