Connecticut Manufacturers Cannot Fill Jobs--Aging Workforce A Big Factor

According to the "2005 Survey of Current and Future Manufacturing Jobs in Connecticut," conducted by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, Connecticut manufacturers are having difficulties filling job openings because of the lack of skilled workers looking for employment with many manufacturers saying that the state’s aging workforce, combined with the inadequate skills of job candidates entering the workforce, will make the problem worse within the next five years.

The median age of manufacturing employees nationwide is 42. Connecticut’s workforce has a median age of 37.4 years, ranking it as the seventh-oldest workforce in the nation. More than three-quarters of Connecticut manufacturers say they expect up to 20 percent of their employees to retire within five years. And 94 percent expect to replace at least some of their workforce by 2010 due to employee retirements.

Source: News Release Connecticut Business & Industry Association (January 4, 2006)