Trump is bringing the factories back. Where are the workers?

This essay is a part of The Right Way Forward, Restoring America’s new think tank debate series in which leading conservative institutions argue the defining questions of the post-Trump era. Read about the series here.

Every factory that returns to American soil, every semiconductor plant that breaks ground, every shipyard that restarts production brings with it the same question: Where are the workers?

Under President Donald Trump, the United States is set to witness a new golden age of manufacturing. Tariffs have reshaped supply chains, while foreign direct investment is skyrocketing. In both site plans and groundbreakings, reshoring is a welcome reality. But that growth will be short-lived without American workers trained and ready for these jobs.

The problem is urgent. According to a recent survey, roughly 45% of manufacturers responded that “attracting and retaining a quality workforce” is one of their biggest challenges. As of August 2025, roughly 409,000 manufacturing