The Ariens Company, famous for its bright orange snow blowers and lawnmowers, had a tough time last summer when sales dropped. This caused Dan Ariens, the company’s leader, to make some hard choices. He had to let go of some workers, reduce work hours, and stop hiring new employees. About 20% of the workforce, which is around 1,600 people, lost their jobs. And sadly, Ariens doesn’t expect things to get better until 2025.
This situation at Ariens Company shows a big difference in the job market. While overall jobs have been increasing for four years, factory employment in the United States hasn’t been growing much at all. President Joe Biden is trying to help factories by passing laws to boost industries like making computer chips and electric cars. But even though he’s trying to make things better, many big companies like Deere & Co and Whirlpool Corp have had to let some workers go.
President Biden is visiting factories to talk about what he’s doing to help. But still, many factories are not hiring as much as they used to. Kondex Corp, for example, isn’t paying extra to bring in workers from other states anymore. Instead, they expect some people to leave their jobs naturally, without getting laid off. It’s a tough time for many companies, but they’re hoping things will start looking up soon.
Source: Reuters