Finding ways to attract, retain workers
By John Yoswick
Don’t look for any short-term improvement in the struggle to find the collision repair technicians your business needs — and one projection indicates it could well get worse. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) sees steady demand for autobody technicians through 2032. Based on data provided by state labor departments, the DOL projects that an additional 2,400 more body technicians will be needed by 2032 (in addition to replacing those leaving or retiring from the industry). This projection, which is updated every two years, suggests a growth rate of 1.2 percent over that time, increasing from 153,300 workers in 2022 to more than 155,200 in 2032.
How is the industry going to address this? Here’s the latest from shop owners, trade associations, collision repair training programs and other organizations focused on the topic…
