Labor shortage: 'You've got to start thinking that robots can do some of these jobs,' expert says

As companies struggle to find ways to take on the nationwide labor shortage, automation has become increasingly appealing. Initially seen as a job killer, automation may actually be the answer to ongoing worker shortages, particularly in the manufacturing sector, which is projected to have 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to a May 2021 study by Deloitte and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). "You've got to start thinking that robots can do some of these jobs," Lauren Hein, head of advisor relations at ROBO Global, an investment firm specializing in automation investment, told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). In July 2022, there were nearly six million unemployed workers but 10 million vacant jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Rather than waiting to find enough workers to fill that void, Hein suggested automation as a reasonable alternative.