The Brief
- Florida’s manufacturing industry generates $86.6 billion annually and ranks sixth in the nation for exports, with more than 3,500 manufacturing companies located in the Bay Area.
- A new Florida TaxWatch report warns that an aging workforce could create major labor shortages, with more than half of manufacturing workers age 45 or older.
- Industry leaders are pushing apprenticeships, internships and early trade education programs to attract younger workers and fill future manufacturing jobs.
TAMPA, Fla. – This month, Florida TaxWatch released a new report looking at the state’s $86.6 billion manufacturing industry.
The backstory:
The report said Florida outperforms others in the sector, but more than half of Florida’s manufacturing workforce is ages 45 and older. So, those experienced workers will retire and leave open a number of jobs to fill.
“Yes, we’re very aware of that. About 25% of [the] manufacturing workforce are 55 years and older. So, they will be retiring, and in the next 10 years there will be many openings,” Beth Galic, president of the Bay Area Manufacturers Association, said.…