In focus: Rubber News Livestream looks at labor shortage

It's not the shortage of rubber industry jobs that's problematic, it's the shortage of workers.

We're ready to take another in-depth look at the matter with a March 9 livestream that is free to attend. In it, Rubber News Reporter Andrew Schunk and Editor Bruce Meyer will engage in a discussion with industry leaders about the impacts of the labor shortage and what steps need to be taken to help mitigate manufacturing and supply chain disruptions.

The program, set for 2 p.m. EST Wednesday, will feature insights from Jessica Belback, head of human resources for ContiTech U.S. and Canada; Zeon Chemicals CFO LaStacia Dalton; and Ammega Americas President Tom Doring.

Registration for the livestream is free and can made online at rubbernews.com/events.

It's not just the number of openings that matter. It's the toll those openings have on employees.

The Association of Rubber Products Manufacturers noted in its State of the Industry presentation that 38 percent of businesses responding to the association survey said they had an increase in available jobs in 2021.

And while the shallow labor pool could impact production, ARPM Executive Director Troy Nix said it also leads to employee burnout.

"When we came from 2020 into 2021, 2020 was a tough year for everybody. And then it seemed like we had a core work force that we could rely on, and we were beating them up pretty bad," Nix said of working employees weekends and overtime.

For tire makers—Michelin, Bridgestone and Goodyear, among others—the labor shortage is hitting operational costs and driving tire prices higher.

For Goodyear, particularly, the U.S. operations are feeling the greatest impact of the labor crunch. The issue seems to be at its most acute in the U.S., according to Darren Wells, Goodyear's chief financial officer.

"When it comes to the labor situation, I think that the challenge in the U.S. has been greater than it has been in other parts of the world," Wells said.