The main closures of manufacturing plants have been ones that are not up to date and must be replaced with more efficient manufacturing equipment. These are needed to keep up with the competition that exists in the automotive industry. Car manufacturing jobs have a great influence on many other jobs and industries that supply the automotive manufacturing jobs with materials needed to produce vehicles.
There are many such plants that manufacture plastic, glass, steel, and rubber that are dependent upon the automotive industry to keep them in business. The production of automobiles also contributes to manufacturing engineer jobs as well as manufacturing sales jobs. Other industries such as gas stations, highway workers, auto repair shops and dealers are all part of the economy that is contingent upon the purchase and maintenance of motor vehicles.
Many people are employed by the automotive industry in a variety of jobs. The manufacturing industry not only makes the vehicles themselves, but there are many accessories that are a part of the vehicle that must be produced as well. There were about 9200 motor vehicle manufacturers in 2006.
The largest sector in automotive assembly plants are made up of light truck and automobiles. There are many of these production plants that are owned by foreigners who are called domestic internationals. The reason for the production in the US is to be near the market for their product and to save money when it comes to exchange rates as well as the shipping of the cars from overseas.
An automotive plant has three sections. The first one is the assembly of the outside of the car. The body is put together and welded. Much of this work is performed by a robotic workforce but there are a few things that require human intervention. The body is then fastened to a conveyer which takes it to the next stage where it is coated with a chemical to prevent rusting and painted. The next stage, adding the interior parts - seats, dashboard, and the engine and transmission are put in by trained assemblers.
Areas of the country that are heavily affected by the automotive industry are mainly in the Midwest and naturally, Michigan. The following states are the leaders when it comes to manufacturing jobs in the US with 54% of the jobs that are available in car manufacturing in these states:
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- Illinois
There are normally three shifts in a motor vehicle manufacturing plant. Overtime is quite common at different times of the year. If you are mechanically inclined and enjoy being around automotive parts this could be a good job in which to become involved. Because the work environment may be somewhat noisy and oil and grease are a standard in the manufacture of automobiles, this is not the profession for everyone.
The managerial jobs are another part of this profession that is a little cleaner since they normally have an office where they work most of the time. They do, however, have to go to the production lines on a regular basis. The manufacturing of motor vehicles accounts for approximately 1.1 million jobs. The parts production accounted for about 61% of jobs and 23% were assemblers.
There are many related jobs in the automotive manufacturing sector. There are design technicians, engineers, testers, and production planners that must do their job before it actually comes down to the assembly. The artistic end of the automotive business is in design. There are many aspects of modification and redesign that go into the making of a new car for the consumer. The prototypes must be tested and retested to make sure the parts are going to all fit together and meet the specifications that the designer wants them to meet.
The earnings of the automotive production workers are usually very good. The weekly earnings of $1,213 are some of the best in any industry. These are not supervisory jobs so that makes the pay even more appealing. These workers normally are the ones that make the complete vehicle. The workers who make parts for the automobiles earn about $904 per week. Add to this the benefits that are available in these jobs and you have a good earning potential when it comes to the automotive industry.
The automotive industry does not require a lot of education for the manufacturers. However, the assembly sector will look more favorably on a worker with a two- year degree in an area of technical expertise. The designers and engineers will have to take more classes and the experience they have can substitute for education.
