Track: Graduate Student Paper Competition

Abstract

The United States manufacturing sector has managed to remain an impressive and productive sector in the country and globally owing to the U.S. government’s support in matters of manufacturing. Due to the increasing use of sophisticated technological advancements that streamline operations and standardize product quality and quantity, the manufacturing sector in the U.S. produces exceptional output. Technological advances in the U.S. manufacturing sector enable manufacturers to remain competitive in an aggressive business environment and profitable amid stiff competition. Moreover, technological advances streamline communication processes along supply chains, enabling manufacturers to better serve their customers. The enormous potential of these technologies to rescue economies from recession and other economic obstacles makes it almost inevitable that the future of manufacturing in the U.S. will be promising. However, automation and innovative technologies have not been easy on the manufacturing workforce for the obvious reason that they tend to replace human labor. As a result, people who have been integrated into the manufacturing sector are either laid off or completely frustrated, and those who are still integrated receive low wages. Because of this, the manufacturing industry's employment prospects appear dim because machines receive more attention than human resources. The COVID-19 pandemic had crippling effects on U.S. manufacturing by dramatically hiking prices of raw materials and finished goods, and altering delivery schedules and demand patterns, which made manufacturers to stock low inventory to avoid being subjected to unending losses. Manufacturers were caught off guard by sudden demand levels following the global pandemic, which significantly disrupted their unprepared supply chains. Because of this, it was discovered that the COVID-19 threat to the manufacturing sector in the U.S. has left it weaker than it should be. That said, it is critical that the government of the U.S. increase its efforts to enhance the manufacturing sector and protect it from unforeseen occurrences that could jeopardize the sector's progress to date, both locally and internationally.