Shortage of workers ... semiconductor industry

[megablue]

This was posted this morning. The apparent shortage is surprising, if not alarming, assuming the information is accurate.

The American semiconductor boom faces a massive obstacle: A lack of immigrants

One-third of the semiconductor industry workforce is foreign-born — so immigration hurdles are exacerbating a shortage of workers.

finance.yahoo.com

Another recent piece indicates the same shortage ...

Semiconductor Industry Finding Too Few Workers to Boost U.S. Manufacturing

A new study shows more than half of the 115,000 new semiconductor manufacturing jobs created this decade could go unfilled.

www.investopedia.com

Intel needs people ...

Intel Addresses Semiconductor Workforce Shortage

The future of the semiconductor industry depends on the education of students, and Intel is working to make sure those students are ready.

www.intel.com

Deloitte report says it is a global problem ...

Global Semiconductor Talent Shortage

By 2030, the semiconductor industry will grow more than 80%, and a significant talent boost is required to support that growth. Companies and policymakers must take action now to solve the semiconductor worker shortage.

www2.deloitte.com

I hope the chip plant going up in Ohio will be able to find the necessary workers. For that matter, I hope the battery plant under construction in Hardin County will not have problems developing a work force. I drove down I-65 recently ... that facility is ABSOLUTELY HUGE !!! Looks MASSIVE from the Interstate !!!

 

[the nail at the foul line]

 

[HymanKaplan]

So, highly qualified workers/technicians, that would contribute greatly to this country, are facing extreme difficulty with the immigration policies.

Meanwhile, on the Southern border...
You couldn't sell this to a publisher as a parody, because it is so absurd. Our country is run by feebs...

 

[WayneDougan]

Deloitte report says it is a global problem ...

Global Semiconductor Talent Shortage

By 2030, the semiconductor industry will grow more than 80%, and a significant talent boost is required to support that growth. Companies and policymakers must take action now to solve the semiconductor worker shortage.

www2.deloitte.com

What do they know? Who are they anyway?

 

[drew_ukfan]

Birth rates decrease, there’s going to be a lot of worker shortage soon

 

[megablue]

What do they know? Who are they anyway?

International accounting firm ...

Deloitte - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[megablue]

Birth rates decrease, there’s going to be a lot of worker shortage soon

YES ... Japan's population is really shrinking ...

 

[WayneDougan]

International accounting firm ...

What do a bunch of bean counters know about semiconductors?

 

[drew_ukfan]

YES ... Japan's population is really shrinking ...

It’s not so much about shrinking, it’s about aging

When the younger generations don’t outnumber the retired population 2:1, you’ve got issues

My generation (millennial) simply aren’t having enough kids, and the ones after me will have even fewer. US CEOs and politicians praying china collapses so they can get all their immigrants. Gotta keep feeding the machine

 

[WayneDougan]

That report by Deloitte was from 2022 - e.g., before the AI transformation. I think they would have a different opinion on it now.

 

[megablue]

It’s not so much about shrinking, it’s about aging

When the younger generations don’t outnumber the retired population 2:1, you’ve got issues

My generation (millennial) simply aren’t having enough kids, and the ones after me will have even fewer. US CEOs and politicians praying china collapses so they can get all their immigrants. Gotta keep feeding the machine

It's 'now or never' to stop Japan's shrinking population, PM says

Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida pledged on Monday to take urgent steps to tackle the country's declining birth rate, saying it was "now or never" for one of the world's oldest societies.

www.reuters.com

 

[megablue]

That report by Deloitte was from 2022 - e.g., before the AI transformation. I think they would have a different opinion on it now.

Not sure, but I think the part of the demand for chips is because of AI progress. AI chips will be in high demand, and competitively so, it seems to me. I can be wrong about it, of course.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Throw in substance abuse deaths and we've got a real mess mess brewing.

My daughter recently changed jobs. She works in the auto parts manufacturing industry. According to her, they hire lots of folks from Mexico and Venezuela lately because many gringos turn down $18/hr (up to 40 hours) to $27/hour. (after 40 hours).

 

[megablue]

Throw in substance abuse deaths and we've got a real mess mess brewing.

My daughter recently changed jobs. She works in the auto parts manufacturing industry. According to her, they hire lots of folks from Mexico and Venezuela lately because many gringos turn down $18/hr (up to 40 hours) to $27/hour. (after 40 hours).

I've been retired for 7 years now from a highway construction firm, but friends still working have told me it has been nearly impossible to staff crews and find truck drivers. Staffing with Mexicans has been their primary source of incremental labor. Very tough ...

A good friend told me that in his home county in Western Kentucky, a firm was looking to bring a light manufacturing plant in. Market research and discussions with local business leaders indicated they would not be able to hire enough people. The company decided to look elsewhere. My friend said, much like your daughter has seen, many local people simply do not want to work ...

 

[berniecarbo]

I've been retired for 7 years now from a highway construction firm, but friends still working have told me it has been nearly impossible to staff crews and find truck drivers. Staffing with Mexicans has been their primary source of incremental labor. Very tough ...

A good friend told me that in his home county in Western Kentucky, a firm was looking to bring a light manufacturing plant in. Market research and discussions with local business leaders indicated they would not be able to hire enough people. The company decided to look elsewhere. My friend said, much like your daughter has seen, many local people simply do not want to work ...

Why work if you can get freebies from the gov?

 

[AIChatGPT]

Throw in substance abuse deaths and we've got a real mess mess brewing.

My daughter recently changed jobs. She works in the auto parts manufacturing industry. According to her, they hire lots of folks from Mexico and Venezuela lately because many gringos turn down $18/hr (up to 40 hours) to $27/hour. (after 40 hours).

My 17 year old nephew is paid $16.50/hr by Kroger.

I think there is an economic principle that will attract workers to the semi-conductor jobs.

18 per hour is $37,500 annually. Toss in 200 OT hours and it is $42,900. I don’t know where she lives but a single person will barely get by in mid size cities like Louisville on $43K

 

[drew_ukfan]

My 17 year old nephew is paid $16.50/hr by Kroger.

I think there is an economic principle that will attract workers to the semi-conductor jobs.

18 per hour is $37,500 annually. Toss in 200 OT hours and it is $42,900. I don’t know where she lives but a single person will barely get by in mid size cities like Louisville on $43K

Who wants to do 200 OT hours?

Gotta have a life outside work. Pay more and stop mandatory OT and people will come

 

[AIChatGPT]

Hey, I agree with you I just put it in there because it would get mentioned.

 

[drew_ukfan]

I truly believe a lot of young people have just given up. It’s too expensive to buy a starter home in a lot of America and a lot of people can’t afford to have kids so the need to work really hard just isn’t there.

Having employment also doesn’t mean you’re a good worker. People have just given up. They’ll leave a job on a whim, quiet quit, etc

 

[megablue]

I truly believe a lot of young people have just given up. It’s too expensive to buy a starter home in a lot of America and a lot of people can’t afford to have kids so the need to work really hard just isn’t there.

Having employment also doesn’t mean you’re a good worker. People have just given up. They’ll leave a job on a whim, quiet quit, etc

Your post makes a lot of sense to me ...

 

[AustinTXCat]

I've been retired for 7 years now from a highway construction firm, but friends still working have told me it has been nearly impossible to staff crews and find truck drivers. Staffing with Mexicans has been their primary source of incremental labor. Very tough ...

A good friend told me that in his home county in Western Kentucky, a firm was looking to bring a light manufacturing plant in. Market research and discussions with local business leaders indicated they would not be able to hire enough people. The company decided to look elsewhere. My friend said, much like your daughter has seen, many local people simply do not want to work ...

I still work after a Stage IV cancer diagnosis + chemo every 3 weeks.. Feel good. Plan on continuing work for hopefully another 29 months.

At any rate, labor shortages hit nearly all industries, For example, I worked at Conexant/NXP 4.25 years until laid-off summer, 2010. Every quarter, I meet with former semiconductor-industry colleagues for a social. Our summary:

- "M" (64) just laid off from Roku after 7 years with the company. Roku offered him a rather generous buyout. Coupled with unemployment benefits, he's set. He has no plans on returning to work. His wife is covered by insurance through her employer. "M" attended Oktoberfest in Munich last month. Like me, he's ex-Army.

- "J" (66) currently works for Applied Materials. Here's a gent holding an MS EE from Cal Poly + 44 years industry experience, minus an extremely painful 4-year job search between 2014-2018. He told us that although others at his firm have been offered buyouts, he's safe. Reason: no one else can do the job.

- "H" (68) worked at a small engineering firm after layoff from CNXT/NXP in 2011. Has 40+ years industry experience. Every now and again he receives inquiries from prospective employers. No plans on returning unless consulting

3 gents mentioned above possess over 110 combined man-years experience in semiconductor industry. They each worked on critically complex problems involving hardware or software affecting a product in which customer demands resolution yesterday. Knowledge base remains out there, but its graying.

 

[megablue]

I still work after a Stage IV cancer diagnosis + chemo every 3 weeks.. Feel good. Plan on continuing work for hopefully another 29 months.

At any rate, labor shortages hit nearly all industries, For example, I worked at Conexant/NXP 4.25 years until laid-off summer, 2010. Every quarter, I meet with former semiconductor-industry colleagues for a social. Our summary:

- "M" (64) just laid off from Roku after 7 years with the company. Roku offered him a rather generous buyout. Coupled with unemployment benefits, he's set. He has no plans on returning to work. His wife is covered by insurance through her employer. "M" attended Oktoberfest in Munich last month. Like me, he's ex-Army.

- "J" (66) currently works for Applied Materials. Here's a gent holding an MS EE from Cal Poly + 44 years industry experience, minus an extremely painful 4-year job search between 2014-2018. He told us that although others at his firm have been offered buyouts, he's safe. Reason: no one else can do the job.

- "H" (68) worked at a small engineering firm after layoff from CNXT/NXP in 2011. Has 40+ years industry experience. Every now and again he receives inquiries from prospective employers. No plans on returning unless consulting

3 gents mentioned above possess over 110 combined man-years experience in semiconductor industry. They each worked on critically complex problems involving hardware or software affecting a product in which customer demands resolution yesterday. Knowledge base remains out there, but its graying.

Thank you for a very interesting, informative and thoughtful post that is incredibly well-written. Most of all, I am glad you feel good and I wish you the very best of health and many years of enjoyable retirement. Also, thank you for your service in the Army.

 

[chroix]

I still work after a Stage IV cancer diagnosis + chemo every 3 weeks.. Feel good. Plan on continuing work for hopefully another 29 months.

At any rate, labor shortages hit nearly all industries, For example, I worked at Conexant/NXP 4.25 years until laid-off summer, 2010. Every quarter, I meet with former semiconductor-industry colleagues for a social. Our summary:

- "M" (64) just laid off from Roku after 7 years with the company. Roku offered him a rather generous buyout. Coupled with unemployment benefits, he's set. He has no plans on returning to work. His wife is covered by insurance through her employer. "M" attended Oktoberfest in Munich last month. Like me, he's ex-Army.

- "J" (66) currently works for Applied Materials. Here's a gent holding an MS EE from Cal Poly + 44 years industry experience, minus an extremely painful 4-year job search between 2014-2018. He told us that although others at his firm have been offered buyouts, he's safe. Reason: no one else can do the job.

- "H" (68) worked at a small engineering firm after layoff from CNXT/NXP in 2011. Has 40+ years industry experience. Every now and again he receives inquiries from prospective employers. No plans on returning unless consulting

3 gents mentioned above possess over 110 combined man-years experience in semiconductor industry. They each worked on critically complex problems involving hardware or software affecting a product in which customer demands resolution yesterday. Knowledge base remains out there, but its graying.

Sorry to hear about the cancer. Fight like hell man!

 

[Tskware]

You don't have to be a senior CPA at Delloitte. Look at any concrete job, roofing job, agriculture/landscaping job anywhere and you will see predominantly Latino work force, I used to represent the Home Builders Association, as far right politically as they come . . . until you mention immigration, they all told me they would be SOL without immigrants (mostly Mexican), same for golf and horse industry here in Cent Ky.

GD, but it sure seems like Congress and President would figure out a way to get the 1000s of immigrants willing to work across the border in some sort of organized way to fill jobs like these.

My guess why semi conductor jobs go unfilled by US citizens is that US kids don't take STEM classes, very few Physics, Math or chemistry majors come out of college.

 

[FtWorthCat]

I have a good friend that I went to high school with back in Kentucky. I went to UK and got a 4-year accredited civil engineering degree. He went to a 2-year tech school in electronic technology or something similar. He moved to DFW to work for Texas Instruments when he was 20. I graduated from UK 3 years later than he graduated, and moved to DFW out of college. We're both in our late 50s now. His starting salary was higher than mine was 3 years later, not that I'm complaining. I've made a comfortable living and plan to retire at 60. He is still working in semiconductors, and has always made more than I do. His co-workers have gotten some cushy buyouts, 2 years salary, health insurance paid until 65, etc. His school wasn't nearly as hard as what I went through at UK, or nearly as expensive.

 

[megablue]

You don't have to be a senior CPA at Delloitte. Look at any concrete job, roofing job, agriculture/landscaping job anywhere and you will see predominantly Latino work force, I used to represent the Home Builders Association, as far right politically as they come . . . until you mention immigration, they all told me they would be SOL without immigrants (mostly Mexican), same for golf and horse industry here in Cent Ky.

GD, but it sure seems like Congress and President would figure out a way to get the 1000s of immigrants willing to work across the border in some sort of organized way to fill jobs like these.

My guess why semi conductor jobs go unfilled by US citizens is that US kids don't take STEM classes, very few Physics, Math or chemistry majors come out of college.

I 100% agree with what you have posted, as this is what I see and think, too.

 

[FtWorthCat]

Who wants to do 200 OT hours?

Gotta have a life outside work. Pay more and stop mandatory OT and people will come

This is a different era, so I'm not knocking you. But 200 hours OT is laughable to me. I worked 500 hours OT per year when I was in my 20s. I billed 2500+ a couple of years. I think I got a $500 bonus for the year as additional compensation (yearly salary was $24k). It was expected to keep your job at a small civil consulting firm back in "my day." It taught you time management skills, I will say that.

Now my buddy in semiconductors never had to work that kind of OT, and didn't have to deal with the stress of constant deadlines and budgets to meet. I would say semiconductor industry is far better than most IT positions too, based on people I've know in both, not that IT is a bad field either.

Engineering and Electronics Technology | BCTC

Supercharge your earning potential with specialized, high-tech training for in-demand engineering and electronics jobs.

bluegrass.kctcs.edu

 

[drew_ukfan]

This is a different era, so I'm not knocking you. But 200 hours OT is laughable to me. I worked 500 hours OT per year when I was in my 20s. I billed 2500+ a couple of years. I think I got a $500 bonus for the year as additional compensation (yearly salary was $24k). It was expected to keep your job at a small civil consulting firm back in "my day." It taught you time management skills, I will say that.

Now my buddy in semiconductors never had to work that kind of OT, and didn't have to deal with the stress of constant deadlines and budgets to meet. I would say semiconductor industry is far better than most IT positions too, based on people I've know in both, not that IT is a bad field either.

Engineering and Electronics Technology | BCTC

Supercharge your earning potential with specialized, high-tech training for in-demand engineering and electronics jobs.

bluegrass.kctcs.edu

I used to work in professional baseball, stadium management side and would routinely work 80-90 hour weeks. It isn’t worth it. I’d rather make less and be home by 5 and off the weekends

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

My generation (millennial) simply aren’t having enough kids, and the ones after me will have even fewer. US CEOs and politicians praying china collapses so they can get all their immigrants. Gotta keep feeding the machine

And they are having kids at a later age as well. That generation has been ****ed by three disasters (COVID, Great Recession, Housing bubble bursting) during their prime years for having children and it severely jeopardized their abilities to accumulate wealth, particularly generational wealth.

Like one of my best friends has two kids now but he didn’t have his first until he was like 37 and the second when he was 40. And for our generations that’s not exactly out of the ordinary anymore

My parents giving birth to my brother and I in their late 20s to early 30s would be having them semi-earlyish these days when back then they were on the older end of the spectrum for having kids.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

Gotta have a life outside work. Pay more and stop mandatory OT and people will come

This is the exact problem with my former line of work in college athletics - and nearly everyone in it is salaried so anything over 37.5 hours was essentially working for free. Yet people in charge complain about the turnover in the field.

Well maybe hire more people to prevent us from having to work for barely more than minimum wage once you calculate what our REAL hourly rate is.

I make more money now than I did at that job. Now at most I only put in 38 hours a week working four days a week when previously a light week would have been 7 days for 60 hours. And my current job’s requirement is merely a high school degree.

There’s only so much abuse people are willing to take before they’ll leave for greener pastures.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

I truly believe a lot of young people have just given up. It’s too expensive to buy a starter home in a lot of America and a lot of people can’t afford to have kids so the need to work really hard just isn’t there.

Having employment also doesn’t mean you’re a good worker. People have just given up. They’ll leave a job on a whim, quiet quit, etc

Quiet quit? So you mean do the job you were hired and are paid to do and not do extra stuff when there won’t be any extra pay coming for it?

 

[Deeeefense]

We need to encourage more Taiwanese immigration, Taiwan is where 80% of all chips are manufactured right now.

 

[drew_ukfan]

Quiet quit? So you mean do the job you were hired and are paid to do and not do extra stuff when there won’t be any extra pay coming for it?

Yes, act your wage. I’ve had bosses try to push me to “go above and beyond”.. I’ll pass

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

I used to work in professional baseball, stadium management side and would routinely work 80-90 hour weeks. It isn’t worth it. I’d rather make less and be home by 5 and off the weekends

Seriously. I didn’t realize until after I got out of working college athletics that a few of my health problems were caused by the stress of the work. Within a year they had gone away and some almost immediately once I got out. If I had stayed in the field I would have likely worked myself into an early grave.

 

[drew_ukfan]

Seriously. I didn’t realize until after I got out of working college athletics that a few of my health problems were caused by the stress of the work. Within a year they had gone away and some almost immediately once I got out. If I had stayed in the field I would have likely worked myself into an early grave.

Same. Too much stress and I was eating too much ballpark food. I’m so glad I only did 3 years of it, I knew people that have been in the industry 20+ years. Most are not happy but don’t know what else they’d do

Lol. Anything is better then working in sports

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

Yes, act your wage. I’ve had bosses try to push me to “go above and beyond”.. I’ll pass

I wouldn’t necessarily mind the whole go above and beyond thing if you are at a company that will reward that, like a raise or a promotion with a bigger raise. But I’ve learned that the more you go above and beyond, the more work you just have to do and chances are you aren’t going to be adequately rewarded for it.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

Same. Too much stress and I was eating too much ballpark food. I’m so glad I only did 3 years of it, I knew people that have been in the industry 20+ years. Most are not happy but don’t know what else they’d do

Lol. Anything is better then working in sports

Every once in a while I’ll have a nightmare that I decided to go back into working in sports.

I know a guy who left the field for a few years and then went back. Don’t know what the hell he was thinking. He has like an hour commute too. A lot of nights he’ll shack up with a friend of his who lives in the area because he’s not done for the night on a game day until like 11 pm and has to be back in the office the next morning.

 

[drew_ukfan]

I wouldn’t necessarily mind the whole go above and beyond thing if you are at a company that will reward that, like a raise or a promotion with a bigger raise. But I’ve learned that the more you go above and beyond, the more work you just have to do and chances are you aren’t going to be adequately rewarded for it.

You’re right. My second year in sports, I busted my butt, hardest I ever worked. They let me go at the end of the season because new ownership was coming in and cleaning house. I think they kept 2 people out of the 20 or so front office staff (graphic design/website guy that worked for well under what he should’ve and a hot chick)

Every once in a while I’ll have a nightmare that I decided to go back into working in sports.

I know a guy who left the field for a few years and then went back. Don’t know what the hell he was thinking. He has like an hour commute too. A lot of nights he’ll shack up with a friend of his who lives in the area because he’s not done for the night on a game day until like 11 pm and has to be back in the office the next morning.

Jeez what a moron. I’d legit rather go flip burgers or bag groceries then go back to sports. Job titles are meaningless, pay me hourly. I was assistant director of stadium And event staff management. Had to have roommates to make it. Pathetic industry.

 

[megablue]

Many employers will let some work and do more than others, those who are simply more willing to do so and are used to working hard since an early age.

A man was walking along a farm road and looked across into a field where a farmer had two mules on a plow. He was whipping the hell out of one of them to plow harder.
The man yelled across the fence and asked him why he was abusing the one mule. The farmer promptly replied that it did not do any good to whip the other mule ... he wasn't going to do any more anyway.

There is some wisdom (perhaps sad) and truth in that story. Some people will damn near do the work of two, regardless if they are properly rewarded, or not. They are used to working hard and enjoy it.

 

[FtWorthCat]

"Quiet Quiting", that is know as pulling a Rajon Rondo here in Dallas (bringing it back to sports).