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Pallet C e nt ral • Janu a r y - Fe b r u a r y 2 0 26 27 WIDE BANDS WELDED LOOPS CIRCLE SAWS KNIVES SUPPLIES RECONDITIONING with is trying to hire technicians. Every single one. e challenge is that there is no one walking around on the street with these skills, and it takes one to two years to teach those skills and another one to two years to contextualize those skills to the specific plant environment." Wage Pressure And Compe on Between 2020 and 2023, wages in the pallet industry increased by 30%, outpacing the broader manufacturing average. Yet compensation alone is often not enough to compete with less physically demanding jobs offering flexible schedules. Immigra on Policy Impacts Manufacturing employs more than three million immigrant workers, and increased immigration enforcement has introduced new uncertainty into an already tight labor market, particularly for physically intensive industries like pallet manufacturing. According to an article from Brooks Law Firm (May 2025), immigration concerns could drive over 100,000 people away from these jobs. The Recruitment Challenge: Changing The Narra ve Across manufacturing, outdated perceptions continue to hinder recruitment. Many job seekers still associate the industry with dark warehouses, limited mobility, and exhausting work. ose perceptions do not reflect today's technology-driven operations. To attract new talent, pallet manufacturers are beginning to rethink how they present the opportunity: • Expanding talent pipelines: Companies are partnering with vocational schools, workforce agencies, veterans' groups, and second-chance employment programs to reach overlooked talent pools. • Reframing purpose: Pallets are foundational to global commerce. Emphasizing their role in food security, medical supply chains, and economic stability may add meaning to the work. • Redesigning jobs: Flexible schedules, four-day workweeks, and cross-training opportunities can make roles more attractive while improving retention. Reten on: Turning Jobs Into Careers Recruitment alone won't solve the problem. In the NWPCA-MI 2023 workforce survey, 74% of pallet manufacturers identified attracting and retaining workers as their top workforce challenge. When experienced employees leave, productivity drops, costs rise, and institutional knowledge walks out the door.

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