The Huron Manufacturing Association held its third and last in a series of job fairs on Wednesday in Exeter.
Board Chair, Larry Livingston, suggested this week's was the most successful one. Livingston says Huron County manufacturers are facing a few challenges right now. One of them is the unemployment rate is low in the four county region and that usually indicates there is not enough manpower in the region. And Livingston suggests they have three issues in play.
“So we've got three issues in play for our manufacturers. We have infrastructure and housing and manpower. Manpower relies on both of the other two items. Your infrastructure, you gotta get the people here. Housing, you gotta keep the people here.”
Livingston says something that has recently added to the challenges is the cost of living crisis.
“We have, currently, another thing coming into play and that's the cost of living crisis. So there's nothing that we can do about those items, but we can most definitely help with trying to get the venues for our manufacturers to get the people here.”
Livingston says employers are increasing their wages and benefits in hopes of attracting people to the area and they're also doing what they can to encourage young people who have left the area for post-secondary education to eventually come back to the area.
