A new study conducted by the Woodworking Network and the North American Woodworking Occupational Union of the U.S. and Canadian woodworking industries shows that the shortage of production workers continues to increase at an alarming rate, and no clear signs of ending are visible.

Nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of carpentry representatives participating in the survey said that hiring qualified workers for their manufacturing operations is “very challenging”. Even more disturbing is that 57.9% of respondents said that hiring now is “more challenging” than it was three years ago. In addition, 32.1% of respondents said they expect recruitment to be “very challenging” in three years, and another 34% said they expect recruitment to be somewhat challenging. 

The high turnover rate of the manufacturing workshop makes the need to hire qualified workers all the more necessary. In 2020, 39.3% of respondents said that their operations lost at least a quarter of their production labor, and 4.7% of respondents had a turnover rate of more than 75%. On the contrary, 19.6% said they did not lose any workers in 2020.

The comments of many survey participants highlighted their frustration.

Impact of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the difficulty of recruiting and retaining qualified production workers in the industry. Nearly two-thirds (65.4%) said that COVID-19 has had a “significant impact” on their ability to hire qualified production workers. Another 25.2% said they were “unsure” of the impact of COVID-19. Only 9.4% said that COVID-19 has no significant impact on recruiters.

Many in the "significant influence" camp believe that the government unemployment plan is the main reason for the shortage of job seekers.

Skills gaps have weakened the bottom line. The ongoing hiring and retention of qualified workers to make the most of the workshop has eroded the income potential of the vast majority of companies represented in the survey.

A full 35.6% of the respondents said that their failure to achieve full and stable employment has had a huge impact on their ability to increase income. Another 38.4% of respondents said that staffing problems have weakened their income potential.

The main hiring barriers So why can't the woodworking company find enough help?

When asked to select a single “biggest obstacle to recruiting new talent” from the list, 29.9% of people chose “lower entry-level wages compared to other skill industries”, followed by 28.0% of people who chose "The number of high school carpentry courses has declined." "Lack of visibility/understanding of carpentry career opportunities" was answered by 16.8%, followed by "low unemployment rate in your area" at 6.5%. Less than 1% of people chose “negative public image of the woodworking industry”.

Nearly 17% of survey participants exceeded the list by providing written responses, and "all of the above" are common adverbs. Some people also pointed to competition with the government's unemployment compensation program.

How can I help you? The survey asked participants to determine the type of skills they were looking for among new employees. Due to multiple responses, the numbers add up to more than 100%.

For candidates who most need "experience in setting up and operating traditional woodworking equipment (table saws, woodworking, etc.)", 70.8% of the respondents said that they need personnel with such basic mechanical skills. In contrast, 42.5% of respondents do not need previous carpentry experience for job vacancies. The demand for CNC operators and finishing workers is equal, accounting for 39.6%, followed by CAD-CAM users, accounting for 30.2%.

"Any professional cabinet store that wants to grow and operate successfully needs the above-mentioned position. Under the current conditions in the United States, I think the chances of success in this environment are bleak for developing business owners. Levels, as well as the overall changes in the school system and the media. Unless the technology industry is respected again, the availability of workers in the technology industry will continue to decline."

"We have given up on hiring specific machines, such as molds. Now, we hire machine operators and train them on specific situations after they arrive."

"We will accept anyone who is willing to learn."

"Hire someone who works five days a week will be a 100% victory."

Need for a training program Although the vast majority of survey respondents lamented that they could not find qualified production workers, more than two-fifths (40.4%) of the respondents admitted that their business does not have any formal woodworking training program. To date, the most common method used to train employees is some form of one-on-one coaching.

The vast majority (86.9%) of the interviewees stated that they cross-train their employees. As one interviewee put it succinctly, "Without this, we would sink."

Training staff assembly, 79.8%, is by far the most common denominator in the cross-training field. There are also bench seats at the top, 65.1%; edge banding machines, 60.5%; panel saws, 54.7%; CNC engraving machines, 51.2%; and finishing, 41.9%

WCA is ready to help. The final part of the survey focuses on the types of plans and delivery methods that the Woodworking Professional Alliance may develop to help the woodworking industry develop and cultivate a skilled workforce.

For example, exactly half of the interviewees indicated that they are interested in programs designed to teach production employees basic carpentry skills (ie basic layout and measurement); wood moisture content; solid wood and panel performance and characteristics?

Other areas of interest for training program development include:

In all cases, video is by far the tool of choice for providing training. There are also training manuals and webinars at the top of the rankings.

About a quarter of the respondents said they would like to see training resources provided in Spanish. Learn more about the Woodworking Professional League and its certification program on woodworkcareer.org.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Rich Christianson is the owner of Richson Media LLC, a communications company based in Chicago that focuses on the industrial woodworking industry. Rich is the former long-term editorial director and associate publisher of Woodworking Network. During his nearly 35-year career, Rich has visited more than 250 woodworking industries in North America, Europe and Asia, and has written numerous articles on woodworking technology, design and supply trends. He has also directed and promoted dozens of woodworking trade shows, conferences and seminars, including cabinet and closet conferences and expos, and Canada's largest woodworking exhibition, woodworking machinery and supply conferences and expos.

Sign up for Woodworking Network Newsletter

Get the latest headline news subscription sent to you every day