Ford Warns of Growing Shortage of Skilled Auto Mechanics

Ford is warning of a deepening shortage of skilled labor in manufacturing, placing workforce availability at the center of its operational concerns. The company reports 5,000 open mechanic positions in the United States—roles that remain unfilled even though some dealers have salaries of up to US$120,000. This figure was confirmed by CEO Jim Farley during an interview on the podcast Office Hours: Business Edition, where he described the structural labor pressure facing the sector.

“The company currently has 5,000 mechanic vacancies. A workshop with lifts and tools but no one to work in it. The jobs pay US$120,000 a year, but it takes five years to learn how to do it,” Farley said. He added that the training gap represents “the weakest link” for Ford and for much of industry.

The US labor imbalance reflects broader trends across Western economies. Citing data from NPR and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Farley noted that nearly 500,000 manufacturing jobs remain open even as unemployment stands at 4.3%. He described the situation as a national talent deficit: “We have about one million open positions in critical jobs: emergency services, trucking, factory workers, plumbers, electricians and technical trades.”

Farley emphasized that developing new technical talent requires long-term investment in training. “It takes at least five years to learn how to disassemble a diesel engine from a Ford Super Duty truck,” he said. He added that the lack of trade schools is a key constraint: “We do not have trade schools. We are not investing in educating a new generation like my grandfather’s, who started with nothing and built a middle-class life working on an assembly line.”

In the United States and Europe, demographic shifts are worsening shortages as retirements outpace the entry of new technicians. Industry groups and policymakers have warned that the replacement cycle may not keep pace with industrial needs.

Companies have responded with higher wages. Former US President Joe Biden captured this approach when asked how to address labor shortages: “Pay them more.” Ford has implemented a 25% wage increase over four years. Farley said employees have told him, “Young people do not want to work here. Jim, you pay US$17 an hour and they are very stressed.”

Farley noted that today’s top mechanic salaries—up to US$120,000—echo Henry Ford’s landmark wage increase in 1914, meant to secure a stable workforce. He reiterated that competitive pay and technical education are essential to filling manufacturing roles that cannot be automated. He added a warning about national industrial readiness: “God forbid we go to war, because Google will not be able to manufacture the planes and tanks needed.”