American Greatness has published an analysis urging policymakers and industry leaders to rebuild a domestic workforce capable of supporting a successful U.S. reindustrialization effort.
The discussion on reindustrialization has gained traction as American companies, encouraged by tariffs and reshoring incentives, return production from overseas. Yet, Ford CEO Jim Farley has observed that the shortage of skilled U.S. workers threatens to derail these efforts. The nation’s industrial workforce has steadily declined since the 1980s when trade schools and apprenticeships began to vanish in favor of four-year college tracks. Analysts warn that without renewed investment in technical training, the United States risks rebuilding factories that lack Americans qualified to staff them, leaving companies dependent on immigrant labor or automation to fill the gap.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Labor Shortage Index, there are roughly 1.4 million unfilled manufacturing jobs in the United States—an all-time high. The National Association of Manufacturers projects that by 2030, more than 2.1 million factory positions could go unfilled, costing the economy $1 trillion annually. The shortage stems from both demographic decline and the erosion of vocational education infrastructure. Employers report that training costs have increased 30% since 2015 as skilled labor pipelines dry up.
A study by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found that only 28% of U.S. high schools offer vocational or technical programs leading directly to apprenticeships, down from 62% in 1980. Meanwhile, legal immigration continues to supply about 1.1 million workers annually, many of whom fill trade and industrial roles. Economists argue that curbing immigration without rebuilding domestic training capacity could trigger short-term labor shortages, but long-term investment in trade education could reestablish an American middle class built on skilled work.
American Greatness is a conservative online magazine founded in 2017 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is dedicated to defending the principles of American exceptionalism, limited government, and cultural renewal. The publication is known for its contributions to the intellectual foundation of the America First movement and regularly features writers who advocate for sovereignty, industrial revival, and civic patriotism.
