At 6 am every weekday, the factory at Quaker City Castings comes to life with the rumble of equipment and the clang of molten metal hitting sand moulds. In Salem, Ohio, a dedicated team of workers pour, grind, and shape metal castings that fuel a small but vital part of America’s manufacturing sector. These jobs, often romanticised in political speeches, are gruelling, hot, and hard to fill.
For Zachary Puchajda, 25, the work is rewarding despite the challenges. “A lot of people say they wouldn’t work in a place like this because of how hard it is,” he said. A friend introduced him to the job, and the $2 pay raise over his previous golf course gig was enough to convince him to stay. But he acknowledges that many his age aren’t interested in such physical labour. “I think the main problem with kids these days is a lot of things have just been handed to them,” he said.
A labour shortage in a time of renewed demand
US President Donald Trump’s trade policies have reignited some demand for domestic production, with manufacturers like Quaker City seeing a 25% surge in orders after tariffs took effect. Yet, while the jobs are returning, the workers are not. Nearly half a million manufacturing jobs remain unfilled in the US, and nearly half of manufacturers say that hiring and retention are their biggest challenges, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Part of the problem is perception. “People saw what happened in their communities and may not think it’s stable employment,” said Susan Houseman, an economist at the Upjohn Institute. Lingering memories of offshoring in the ’90s and 2000s continue to haunt the image of manufacturing as a reliable career path.
Wages have also played a role. Though Quaker City has increased average salaries by 30% since the pandemic, manufacturing wages across the sector remain 7.8% lower than the private-sector average. In 1980, they were higher. The drop has been exacerbated by declining union power and the rigid shift schedules many factories still impose.
Grit, injuries, and resilience on the factory floor
Cynthia Johler, 36, is one of the few women at Quaker City. Known as “Black Widow” for sticking with the job for three years, she specialises in moulding and recently returned after fracturing her foot on the factory floor. Despite the injury, she remains committed: “I love what I do.”
But not everyone lasts. “If we hire 20 people, two to three will decide to stay for a career while others will quit after a few weeks or months,” said Joseph Korff, the company’s owner. Many leave for less taxing or better-paying jobs.
The work is dangerous and technical. Crews operate near molten metal reaching 3,000°F and handle heavy equipment. Jobs like crafting wood patterns for moulds require precision engineering, and most skills are learned on the job.
Changing views, but limited appeal
Local schools are seeing a gradual shift in attitudes. Mike Agnew, a counsellor at Beaver Local High School, said more students are open to trade careers — especially in construction and welding — but factory work still struggles to compete with jobs that offer more visible paths to success or flexibility.
Jacob Weibush, 25, once tried factory work but left due to low pay, lack of benefits, and sore feet. Now working at an auto shop, he earns $15 an hour and enjoys the schedule. Stephen Page, a high school junior, envisions becoming an electrician instead of standing on an assembly line all day. “I just picture standing on an assembly line like a cartoon,” he said.
A future at risk without a labour solution
Manufacturers like Quaker City Castings continue to post online ads and rely on word-of-mouth to find workers, but Carolyn Lee of the Manufacturing Institute warns that recruitment alone won’t solve the problem. Companies must adapt to the expectations of a new workforce seeking flexibility and better compensation.
“You can’t just plop a factory down and hope people will miraculously appear,” Lee said. Without a serious change in how America values and supports industrial labour, the return of manufacturing could stall — not for lack of machines, but for lack of people willing to run them.
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