“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.”

This was the famous opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, but it could be said of America and the world 175 years after being published.

In a parochial way, it applies to the machining world I have inhabited for so many years.

Every week I talk to somebody who is frustrated, fraught with defeat, and ready to “hang it up.”

I also hear from someone, perhaps a bit less often, who is so swamped with orders he could work around the clock and not be able to keep up. The odd thing is that sometimes, both are happening in the same factory!

I had a call just last week from a bright fellow who is third generation in a family business. He started out in the screw machine world in the 1950s, but now he wants out of multi-spindles and would like to sell most of the machines that had been the foundation of his operation.

He wasn’t in despair. He is financially secure and has a thriving CNC machining operation.

“I just cannot find people to run the machines,” he said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Nobody wants to learn what they believe is a dirty, oily, yesterday kind of job. The good guys have all retired,” he lamented.

I have heard this refrain a hundred times, and I would believe it if I didn’t talk to many customers who are thriving in the same business right now.

My conclusion is that the folks whose shops are in “the worst of times” have often made poor decisions over many years.

This is not to say that outsourcing to China isn’t partly to blame for the state of American machining businesses. The Chinese have used low wages, stolen intellectual property, and the lure of easy profits for big companies, which has hurt our manufacturing base.

But 2025 is a different time. President Trump’s tariffs on China (55% today), the rapidly declining birth rate there, and the perception that the Chinese are our enemy make this year the pivoting moment for China versus America.

China has hugely overbuilt. Some cities are almost vacant. But the worst thing for the country is its aging workforce.

China could change the negative tide with immigration from India, the Middle East or Africa, but that seems highly unlikely.

If China has peaked as a manufacturing power, will America rise up again as a manufacturing titan?

It goes back to the question of where the machining folks have gone and who will replace them.

I have wondered for many years why there are so few women in machining. Yes, it can be dirty, but so is processing chicken, farming, and janitorial work. I attribute this primarily to an educational apparatus that has discouraged women to consider factory jobs.

In recent years, men have also shied away, but with college expensive and the payback unknown, men are increasingly passing on college.

Working for the government no longer looks terribly appealing with the cutbacks.

Fast food is growing, but is Dunkin’ Donuts much of a career?

Healthcare is still growing, but much of the work is grueling and repetitive.

Manufacturing, with China faltering, is an open field. The big missing component is money for employees.

The traditional low comparative pay in manufacturing has baffled me. The opportunity is out there for owners and employers, so why not pay more. Significantly more!

And if the workers will be primarily Hispanic, recruit them vigorously. Management needs to speak Spanish, too.

There is another category to recruit—felons. People coming out of jail can make good employees. If they are losers, you will know it quickly.

Autistic people can also be another potential group to draw from.

Is it the best of times or the worst of times? It is your question to answer.

Just the other day, I spoke with the son of a shop owner looking at one of our older cam multi-spindles. His son told me they have no problem finding workers for cam screw machines—in fact, he has two people following him around right now who he’s training. It proves that when shops get it right, the workers are out there.

Question: What unconventional worker pools is your shop willing to consider?

This article was originally posted on https://todaysmachiningworld.com/the-best-of-times-the-worst-of-times-on...