Workforce in Focus
Labor Market by the Numbers
In December 2025, job openings for manufacturing increased by 34,000 to 433,000 from November, which is roughly in line with the average pre-pandemic (2017– 2019) level of job openings of 432,000. Nondurable goods job openings in December rose by 11,000 to 139,000, while durable goods job openings climbed by 23,000 to 294,000. The manufacturing job openings rate ticked up to 3.3% from 3.0% in November but stayed the same from 3.3% the previous year.
- The Headline Number: While the number of job openings increased in manufacturing in December, job postings declined notably in the larger economy to 6.5 million, a decrease of 386,000 from the previous month and 966,000 from the previous year. The nonfarm job openings rate fell to 3.9%, down from 4.2% in November and from 4.5% in December 2024.
- What it means: The labor market data continues to exhibit a ‘low hire, low fire’ environment. Turnover remained low in manufacturing, meaning most firms are holding on to the talent they have. Meanwhile, the hires rate inched up in December but stayed close to the 10-year low of 2.1%, as firms remain hesitant to increase headcounts. This provides further evidence that manufacturing employment is declining due to attrition.
Skilled Production Workers Needed: Although the job openings level in manufacturing and the broader labor market have fallen as the labor market has cooled, most manufacturers are still looking to hire.
- Bottomline: In the National Association of Manufacturers Q4 2025 Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, less than 10% of respondents said they’re not currently looking to hire (8.6%), making it clear that manufacturers must still invest in their hiring practices.
- Current Needs: Of those respondents, 72.1% expressed a need to fill skilled production roles, such as technicians, welders and machinists. Meanwhile, 60.1% are looking to fill roles for core production workers, such as operators, assemblers and packagers, while 33.5% need high-skilled, degreed workers, such as scientists, researchers and engineers.
- What this means: With hiring rates low and firms holding onto existing workers, manufacturers can’t currently rely on the external labor market alone to meet their workforce needs. Instead, manufacturers should also turn inward by investing in training and upskilling to ensure their current workforce can fill critical roles and adapt to new technologies.
