Tracy Queen
Women of EASA Committee Member
ICC International
Maryville, Tennessee
The manufacturing industry is facing a critical labor shortage, one felt acutely by the electric motor repair and service industry. In the National Association of Manufacturers' fourth-quarter 2024 Manufacturers' Outlook Survey, 55.8% of respondents named attracting and retaining a quality workforce among their top business challenges. A 2024 study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute projects that manufacturers will need as many as 3.8 million new workers by 2033, with nearly 1.9 million of those positions at risk of going unfilled if current labor gaps persist.
As companies seek to fill gaps, one of the most promising and underutilized talent pools remains women. Making up nearly half of the prospective candidate pool for science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), manufacturing and electrical industries, women have the potential to address an aging workforce, declining labor force participation, sector-specific gaps and significant economic impacts.
Many labor shortages are not solely the result of insufficient applicants, but of systemic barriers embedded in hiring, compensation and advancement practices. Rigid work schedules, outdated job requirements, limited re-entry pathways and opaque pay structures can unintentionally exclude capable workers or accelerate turnover.
Recruitment requires a strategic approach addressing all of the above.
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