3 Trends Driven by Tariffs in the U.S. Labor Market
, , , , ,

3 Trends Driven by Tariffs in the U.S. Labor Market

March 30, 2023

Like many job seekers, you may be curious about how the U.S. and Chinese tariffs will impact on the labor market. If you are searching for a job in the manufacturing industry, these trends will help you find the best positions during the ongoing trade war:

Low-Wage Manufacturing Jobs Will Be Replaced With More Affordable Alternatives

The U.S.-China Trade War is taking place during the Fourth Industrial Revolution, when artificial intelligence and machine learning is changing the way that we manufacture, sell, and use goods. Industry 4.0 has already led to a decline in the number of low-wage manufacturing jobs, which are being replaced with automated robots and intelligent applications that can receive, adapt to, and complete routine tasks. As tariffs raise production costs for domestic and international firms, job seekers should find ways to improve their skills before they start applying in this labor market. The assembly-line and repair jobs of the 20th Century will be harder to keep in 2020.

Highly-Skilled Manufacturing Jobs Will Revolve Around Technology & Supply Chain Management

At the same time, highly-skilled employees will be needed to analyze the data that this new technology produces so manufacturing executives can make good decisions. But the U.S.-China Trade War has added another layer of complexity to the manufacturing industry: tariffs are turning cheap Chinese goods into expensive materials, and affordable U.S. exports into products that no one can buy. To make their goods salable, U.S. manufacturing firms will need employees that are skilled at supply chain management — procuring comparable raw materials and monitoring production costs to make their products more profitable.

Manufacturing Companies Will Need Employees Who Can Redesign Products With Cheaper Materials

Of course, all of these employment changes will be useless if manufacturing firms cannot produce quality products. The U.S.-China Trade War will force companies to change their goods and services, using raw materials that are less expensive than Chinese imports. Manufacturing and industrial product designers can benefit from the ongoing dispute between both countries, giving their employers more realistic and affordable options.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can prepare for these changes within the manufacturing industry, our staffing experts are here to answer your questions and concerns. Click here to start a conversation.

Previous Next

Apply for Your Next Position

Specialists at Prolink are ready to guide your job search. Take the first step now.