America is building chip factories. Now to find the workers
The country’s chipmaking goals will test its manufacturing potential
JUDGED BY ONE measure, America’s new industrial policy is off to a roaring start. Enticed by subsidies, companies are pouring money into semiconductor plants and electric-vehicle factories. With investment in manufacturing facilities running at a record high, President Joe Biden’s claim that the future will again be “made in America” seems more credible than it once did.
The next step is less certain. America is building factories, but can it find the workers to operate them? With the jobless rate near a five-decade low, firms are already struggling to find staff. As scores of new factories are built, the gaps will grow.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline "Chipping in"
From the August 12th 2023 edition
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