The Aging Workforce - Impact and Opportunity

This Manufacturing Insights report validates that the challenges posed by an aging workforce are not ones that can be resolved by staffing strategies exclusively. The aging baby boomer population in the United States creates steady attrition in experience and expertise in the manufacturing workforce. This population is being replenished at a rate that is slower than the egress, because of the smaller number of younger workers with technical degrees.

According to Ben Friedman, research manager at Manufacturing Insights, "The knowledge gap caused by rapid attrition of knowledgeable workers and the increased complexity of the manufacturing environment lead to a knowledge deficit that impacts the speed and fidelity in which manufacturers make decisions. The onus is on manufacturers to enable the emerging workforce with the technology and tools that offer them context for making prudent, fact- and historically-based decisions. Moving forward, IT tools and IT driven processes will play a major role in filling the knowledge void facing manufacturers."