Key insights
- NAM CEO forecasts increased manufacturing jobs due to AI adoption, projecting a need for 2.1 million jobs by 2033. These jobs will be technology-related, focusing on AI implementation. The Manufacturing Institute received a $10 million grant from Google to train workers on AI, aiming to boost productivity and maintain US manufacturing leadership. This suggests a positive outlook for the manufacturing sector and potential investment in related technologies.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) CEO Jay Timmons comes on Market Domination to lay out his forecast for what US manufacturing job growth could look like, especially as AI adoption is expected to become more widespread in the coming years.
What does job growth, Jay, look like for the American manufacturing sector now and ahead? Quantify it for us, Jay. And I'm curious, what what are the kinds of manufacturing jobs you think will be most in demand?
Yeah, so there's those those are several questions, but let me try to answer it this way. Uh, over the course of the last year, job job growth has not been as robust as we want. In fact, we've lost jobs in the manufacturing sector. However,
in this quarter or the first quarter of 2026, we've actually started to see uh job growth tick up, which is very, very good news. And I think you're going to see that continue.
In the future, we've always talked about the need for for technicians and and other specialists in the manufacturing field.
What I will say to you Josh is, I'm not sure we know exactly what jobs we're going to need in the future because of the advent of AI. AI is going to change the dynamics of the manufacturing workplace.
It is not going to mean fewer jobs in manufacturing. It is actually going to mean more. We're going to need 2.1 million jobs before the year 2033 in the sector, and many of those jobs are going to be related to technology and to the implementation of AI.
By 2030, 80% of manufacturers will be using AI. Right now that number's about 50%. and those jobs are going to change the types of jobs that manufacturers utilize.
The manufacturing Institute, which is our workforce and education partner here at the at the NAM, just received a $10 million grant from Google, and we're going to be using that to help train manufacturing workers on AI and how to utilize AI to increase productivity and output for manufacturers here in the United States. so we can be the best in the world as we always have been.