Assembly Planbook - July 2008 - (Page 27)

adds Huether. “[Manufacturers are] in a better position today than in 2001, when dual declines in both domestic demand and exports sent the manufacturing sector into a sharp contraction.” The results of the 13th annual State of the Profession survey reflect some of that optimism. For instance, 35 percent of respondents have added staff to their assembly operations. And, more than half (56 percent) of assemblers claim their plants will be investing more resources in their assembly lines during the next three years. However, assemblers are faced with growing time constraints and global competition, coupled with a skilled labor shortage. As a result, survey respondents continue to spend more time at work. For instance, almost one-third (31 percent) of assembly professionals claim that they will be spending more time roaming the plant floor or working on projects during the next 12 months. That’s a 2 percent increase over 2007. Unfortunately, things won’t be getting any better in the near future. More than one half (56 percent) of respondents said time constraints will impact their jobs the most during the next 12 months. Those constraints will cause headaches for assemblers in both large and small companies. That’s especially true for assembly professionals in the transportation equipment manufacturing industry (59 percent), which includes automakers. Company Size Impacts Salary Size $86,072 $85,000 $80,000 $76,773 $75,000 $72,428 $70,000 $69,600 $65,000 $68,507 Less than 100 100 to 249 500 to 999 1000 to 1,999 2,000 or more Number of Employees Indeed, 42 percent of those assemblers cite the skilled labor shortage as one of their biggest concerns today— a 6 percent increase over 2006. At General Motors Corp. (GM, Detroit), 25 percent of its hourly employees recently accepted retirement incentives or buyouts. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn, MI) has announced that it plans to slash its salaried workforce by up to 12 percent. That means there will be fewer people to do the same amount of work than in the past, plus a large amount of new faces moving about on the plant floor. Compensation Fluctuates The typical State of the Profession survey respondent is 46 years old, has an average of 20 years experience and earns $75,163. However, there are exceptions at both the high and low ends of the scale. For instance, 11 percent of respondents earn less than $50,000 per year, while 22 percent take home more than $90,000. More than two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents claim they received a pay increase over the last 12 months. The average salary increase was 4 percent. But, not everyone was that fortunate. Almost one-third (30 percent) of assemblers did not receive a raise. That 4 percent salary increase matches the national average for all white-collar workers in the United States, according to Steven Gross, global leader of the broad-based rewards consulting practice at Mercer Human Resource Consulting Inc. (New York). However, Gross says “pay increases are projected to remain flat in 2008.” Nevertheless, more than three-fourths (76 percent) of State of the Profession respondents expect to receive a salary increase at their next review, which is 2 percent less than in 2007. Assemblers in the medical device industry feel most confident about receiving an increase. Geographic Salary Variables Northeast $75,072 Midwest $73,694 West $80.389 South $71,785 www.assemblymag.com July 2008 / ASSE M B LY 27 http://www.assemblymag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Assembly Planbook - July 2008

Assembly Planbook - July 2008 Contents Editorial Quality in Assembly Station to Station Assembly Lines Assembly in Action Surviving the Roller Coaster The Human Side of Manufacturing Do Your Fasteners Need a Preapplied Thread-Locker? Manufacturing Innovation A Century of Progress Trendsetting Plants Pulse Tools Get Smart Plastics: Design for X Product Reviews Products Advertisers Index Classified Leading Lean

Assembly Planbook - July 2008

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