Manufacturing Jobs Still Got Game, But For How Long?

The Carolinas 100 is a list of 100 top companies that are headquartered either in North or South Carolina and are listed on the stock market.

It's extremely interesting that 5 of the top 10 companies that made The Carolinas 100 list are in manufacturing. While factories seem to take a beating, the skilled labor positions still seem to be going strong. We've even noticed a huge increase in skilled trades jobs in all of our cities. A report back in June talks about how manufacturing employment in North Carolina has changed:

The most successful manufacturers in the state have moved low-skill jobs offshore or... replaced them with machines to save on labor. In 1990, one in four people employed in North Carolina worked in manufacturing. Today, it's about one in eight.

But workers now are more likely to have advanced degrees and can command higher salaries.

So while the manufacturing scene is changing it's not quite dead and gone. In fact, it's just different. The Employment Security Comission expects manufacturing jobs to drop slightly over the next 7 years, particularly in Charlotte. It's interesting that one of the very industries that helped spur on the Industrial Revolution here in America is more and more being displaced overseas. But according to this report, while the low-skilled manufacturing seems to be moving out, the more experienced positions are sticking around. I wouldn't worry too much yet. Like I said, at EmploymentGuide.com we're seeing an increase in manufacturing job postings. But then again, I'm not out in the field. Feel free to comment with what you've noticed in the industry!

Here are some of the The Carolina 100 Companies that are currently hiring:

Family Dollar Corp.
Goodrich Corp.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Denny's Corp
Old Dominion Freight Lines

Or search other manufacturing jobs in Charlotte, NC.

Related posts:
10 Year Employment Outlook
Industrial Blog, Maintenance Workers
Yahoo News: Factory Orders Fall in August

-Rosie Reilman
Resources: The Carolina's 100: Manufacturing still matters; How the List Came Together; North Carolina Occupational Trends
Photo from Nucor Website.