American Public Media Report on Manufacturing Jobs

American Public Media  aired this report on manufacturing jobs on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

At time of joblessness, some jobs go begging

Detroit is ground zero for manufacturing in this country. And the city’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average. That means, Detroit has plenty of people looking for work.

Too bad they’re not right for the available jobs -- positions advertised along the roadside on Help Wanted signs. Jobs that often go unfilled because Detroit manufacturers have a shortage of skilled workers.

Jeannine Kunz is director of professional development at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. “We’re a manufacturing hotbed. And yet, some of the basics in manufacturing -- the core jobs -- you can’t find anyone,” says Kunz. “In some cases, smaller manufacturers are actually having to turn down work because they’re not able to get the machinists or the welders to actually produce the parts.”

Click here for the rest of the report and video.