Findings from a recent report titled “Chipping Away: Assessing and Addressing the Labor Market Gap Facing the U.S. Semiconductor Industry” indicate that the U.S. is running out of technicians, computer scientists, and engineers. Conducted by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Oxford Economics, the report shows that by 2030, the semiconductor industry will be facing a projected shortfall of 67,000 workers. While initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act have aided in reshoring efforts for chip manufacturers, the increased demand for semiconductors mean an increased need for educated and skilled workers for the industry. The report projects that by 2030, the semiconductor industry will grow by 115,000 jobs to a total of 460,000 jobs. In order to fill the looming skilled labor shortage, the authors of the report suggest ways to strengthen the U.S. workforce pipeline, which includes supporting regional partnerships and programs aimed at attracting, educating, and training workers for a career in the industry.
In a recent quote, Dan Martin, senior economist and lead researcher at Oxford Economics, said, “Our analysis showcases the critical high-skilled roles across the semiconductor sector and the likely skill shortages the industry will face, if proactive talent development measures are not taken. The CHIPS Act set the stage for U.S. long-run investment and increased global competitiveness in semiconductor design and production. Moving forward, tens of thousands of new post-secondary-trained workers will need to fill the roles created as the industry increases their productive capacity in the U.S.”
