Ford CEO Says The U.S. Is 'In Trouble' With Over 1 Million Critical Jobs Empty & Even $120K Tech Roles Sitting Vacant. 'God Forbid We Get In A War'

Headlines support informing astir layoffs and white-collar burnout, but there's different workforce situation softly crippling the U.S.—and it's not astir bureau jobs.

Despite increasing involvement successful commercialized enactment among Gen Z, Ford CEO Jim Farley says the U.S. is falling dangerously behind. In a November quality connected the "Office Hours: Business Edition" podcast, Farley didn't conscionable rise concerns—he issued a full-blown warning.

"We are successful heavy occupation erstwhile you comparison america to China," Farley said, pointing astatine the deficiency of skilled labour successful America's indispensable economy. "We are not talking astir this enough."

Don't Miss:

• Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse — Just $0.85 a Share

• 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets — Now You Can Own a Stake successful the Platform

According to Farley, implicit 1 cardinal jobs are sitting bare crossed exigency services, trucking, plumbing, mill work, and the trades. And it's not for deficiency of pay. At Ford alone, helium said, "We had 5,000 openings. A bay with a assistance and tools and nary 1 to enactment successful it… $120,000 a year, but it takes you 5 years to larn it."

This isn't conscionable astir mechanics. Farley sees it arsenic a nationalist information risk. "God forbid we ever get successful a war—Google's not going to beryllium capable to marque the tanks and the planes," helium said. While bundle engineers and integer innovation drawback headlines, the country's quality to relation successful situation depends connected skilled trades—and close now, that seat is dangerously thin.

Farley, whose gramps worked connected the assembly enactment astatine Ford, has been vocal astir rebuilding the pipeline for blue-collar workers. "Those hardworking jobs made our state what it is," helium said connected the podcast. "We bash not person commercialized schools. We are not investing successful educating a adjacent generation… of radical similar my gramps who had nothing, who built a mediate people beingness and a aboriginal for his family."

Trending: Bill Gates Invests Billions successful Green Tech — This Tree-Free Material Could Be the Next Big Breakthrough

That condemnation led Ford to go the archetypal large automaker to ratify national agreements during caller labour negotiations—on some sides of the border. "I'm truthful arrogant of us," Farley said. "We got escaped of the little tier, paid everyone the same. Now those radical person a vocation astatine Ford similar my grandfather."

During the podcast, Farley besides touched connected however COVID exposed cracks successful the wage system. "Many of those radical said, ‘Mr. Farley, I enactment 3 jobs. Don't expect maine to beryllium connected clip astatine Ford erstwhile I person 2 different jobs.'" Ford responded by eliminating its two-tier wage structure, giving workers a clearer way to fiscal stability—something Farley says is foundational to rebuilding the workforce.