Survey: 43% of manufacturing workers are considering leaving their jobs within a year
Epicor has released the results of its latest study, "Voice of the Essential Manufacturing Worker." To obtain this data, Epicor worked with Frontlines Media to survey 600 individuals across eleven manufacturing sub-industries. The second-annual study was designed to increase understanding of frontline workers’ morale, challenges, and opportunities. The results were eye opening, with more than 50% of factory and plant workers confessing that they would take a pay cut to go work for a more technology-driven factory. In addition, 43% of respondents are considering leaving their current positions for better benefits, which include more paid time off, flexible work schedules, and employers who listen to staff. Key takeaways from the study include:
- Workplace morale is decreasing, with only 45% of workers admitting to high morale, down from 52% last year
- Worker are less worries about their jobs being replaced by automation, a fear that dropped from 64% to 52%
- 49% of manufacturers are investing in new technologies, with Big Data, 3D printing, robotics/artificial intelligence, and augmented reality topping the list
In a recent quote, Kerrie Jordan, Group Vice President, Product Management at Epicor, said, “We continue to see manufacturing workers stating their clear preferences for technology-driven, sustainable work environments. These results can help manufacturing leadership better understand their teams, and harness technological change to spur growth and create the manufacturing workforce of the future.”
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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