Demand for skilled workers on the rise

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'Special Report' host Bret Baier takes a look at what a labor shortage could mean for future infrastructure and renewable energy projects.

Manufacturers are warning of an increasing demand for workers with specialized skills. According to a survey done by the National Association of Manufacturers, employers say their top challenge is attracting and retaining a quality workforce.

«You can't meet demand if you don't have enough people to make the products. We want to outcompete the rest of the world. We want America to be the number one manufacturer in the world,» National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons said. «We've got to make sure folks understand what exciting careers are available in manufacturing.»

There are more than 600,000 openings for manufacturing jobs in the U.S., according to May Labor Department data.

«That number is going to rise to about 2.1 million vacancies or open jobs by the year 2030 if we don't take a different path,» Timmons warned.

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Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, speaks in Washington, D.C., in September 2019. Timmons says workers are needed across all sectors of manufacturing and salaries from these jobs can help provide for families (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)

Around 1.7 million employees were laid off, quit or left manufacturing jobs in March and April 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first took hold. Many of those workers were eventually hired back along with additional people to fill those roles. The number of those working in the manufacturing sector has since surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with around 200,000 additional workers