With the help of Clark Schaefer Hackett (a DRMA member), the survey aims to offer an overview in trends in compensation, employee benefits, work schedules, and recruitment and retention strategies among manufacturers in the Dayton area.
In the quest for qualified employees, keeping abreast of what competing firms are paying is important, DRMA President Angelia Erbaugh said. That’s one reason why the DRMA has published the survey for some 20 years, she said.
“That’s exactly why they use this report, to benchmark their compensation packages with other manufacturers right here in the region,” she said.
Employers are not named in the report. Instead, trends among companies classified by differing numbers of employees are outlined.
Erbaugh said she has seen wages rise for skilled employees in particular over two decades, and she attributes that simply to supply and demand.
She has seen a focus on benefits packages and other less tangible workplace assets, such as culture. Monthly employee-provided lunches and employee get-togethers are increasingly common, she said.
“It’s just a lot of pretty unique activities that employers are doing in order to mostly focus on the retention side, making it a nice place to work,” she said.
She has found, as well, that skilled employees are increasingly choosy about moving on to the next job. Often, it takes more than a bump up in pay to persuade an employee to move, she said.
“The good part of it is, employers are doing the right things,” Erbaugh said. “(Employees) are staying. They’re not moving as quickly as in the last few years.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLA), average hourly earnings for production and non-supervisory workers in manufacturing nationally was $28.19 in October 2024, up from $27.96 in July. Average hourly earnings for all employees in manufacturing nationally was $34.42, up from $34.14 in July.
Wages and salaries in manufacturing were up nationally 4% over the last year in the third quarter of 2024, according to the BLA.
The competition for the right workers remains keen. Consultant Deloitte said employee wages and benefits climbed 3.8% as of September 2024, a year-over-year measurement.
A study conducted by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute this year showed that “1.9 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled over the next 10 years if talent challenges are not addressed.”
Labor participation rates have been declining in the U.S. for over two decades, due in part to an aging population, and this may continue through at least 2030, Deloitte said.
The new survey report is available to DRMA members for $350 and to non-members for $500.
To purchase a copy, call DRMA at (937) 949-4000 or email SKnoll@DaytonRMA.org.
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