Ford CEO speaks to factory worker shortage

[JeffKeryk]

I like CEO Jim Farley; he is far more up front as compared to others, like CEO Mary Barra.
Here he addresses younger worker shortage issues. New workers are the factory's lifeblood.

I believe the future requires training (like the local Community Colleges do here), better pay and career path. American manufacturing demands it to stay relevant.
Change is the only constant. I wish CEO Farley success.

 

[fantastic]

I like CEO Jim Farley; he is far more up front as compared to others, like CEO Mary Barra.
Here he addresses younger worker shortage issues. New workers are the factory's lifeblood.

I believe the future requires training (like the local Community Colleges do here), better pay and career path. American manufacturing demands it to stay relevant.
Change is the only constant. I wish CEO Farley success.

Gotta get those recalls repaired. J/k
I drive an ol' Ford proudly.
I think he's had to be a bit louder to try to cover the hardships they've faced. Otherwise, they've done really well with profits. It's only a matter of time before they'll need to cater, somewhat, to the working poor again. They've had some good PR regarding "Built in America" vs some of the others & "Employee Pricing" seems to be getting folks excited. I don't know what that means but everything was MSRP or higher for a while so I suppose a lot of buyers are happy to get something below that for once. I wish them all success but they really need to bring down their prices as the others do. Folks keep buying! But I mean w/interest being high & all it must be slowing them down a bit so hopefully they continue to respond.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Gotta get those recalls repaired. J/k
I drive an ol' Ford proudly.
I think he's had to be a bit louder to try to cover the hardships they've faced. Otherwise, they've done really well with profits. It's only a matter of time before they'll need to cater, somewhat, to the working poor again. They've had some good PR regarding "Built in America" vs some of the others & "Employee Pricing" seems to be getting folks excited. I don't know what that means but everything was MSRP or higher for a while so I suppose a lot of buyers are happy to get something below that for once. I wish them all success but they really need to bring down their prices as the others do. Folks keep buying! But I mean w/interest being high & all it must be slowing them down a bit so hopefully they continue to respond.

The problems are far deeper than that. Yes, prices are too high, beyond that American companies have to make cars that customers want.
Aging factories are a huge problem. Rising supply chain costs due to several factors. Labor... Offshore competition.

 

[Vercingetorix]

There is a reason why people don’t want to work for Ford. They have worker shortages because the big 3 treat their workers as disposable. Who wants to train for a disposable job?

 

[Passport1]

Farley is a wooden indian speaking a foreign language to young American males riding a cultural carnival carousel. Fed messages they aren't worthy, addicted to their video games and socially forced to be incels. Fewer are going to college to accrue crushing debt to get a worthless degree and most have quit finding a worthwhile mate. I see it at a local college campus several times a week.

Getting a jay oh bee at the Blue Oval is not in the universe of their problems.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Doesn't the union have apprenticeships? The union is known for good pay and all

If it's hard to fill good-paying union jobs in areas with a low cost of living, Ford must be doing something wrong and have a lot of problems

Ford doesn't have enough mechanics because they have too many warranty repairs because their cars are poor quality. Maybe Ford should hire some engineers and actually respect them

Farley used to work for Toyota, so perhaps he can get some laid-off Toyota engineers to join Ford.

 

[fantastic]

Let's be real here that Ford really needed to make some changes. Obviously they didn't just do it because. I think they needed a bump in shared profits that were overdue. Looks like they are really specifically targeting the harder jobs like Mechanical repair.

Here's a comment I saw over there...

"I was making over $37 an hour in a small Texas town as an industrial mechanic just over 3 years ago when I retired. $17 was less than what I made there after a year over 30 years ago. No wonder Ford can't hire competent workers!"

 

[02SE]

The closest McDonalds is starting unskilled workers with zero experience, at $18.00 per hour.

 

[MParr]

This is a direct result of advocating for college education for way too many years. Mike Rowe has talked about this extensively.

 

[The_Jeff]

This is actually different from last week's "need" for 5000 more dealership mechanics.

Not sure if Ford has the tiered assembler jobs, with a well-paid old guard and underpaid newbies. Sounds like it from the article.

 

[Dave Hess]

There is a reason why people don’t want to work for Ford. They have worker shortages because the big 3 treat their workers as disposable. Who wants to train for a disposable job?

Unfortunately you are 100% correct.

 

[SumGuy]

UAW common grid pay 2024 - 2028

https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Common-Grid-FG.pdf

As of Nov 15, 2025, the average hourly pay for an Uaw in Detroit is $21.18 an hour.

Oct 23 / 2025: The auto supplier industry in Michigan is losing nearly 450 jobs as two major supplier companies at 3 plants close shop due to volatility in the car industry related to electric vehicle production and the end of two SUVs made by Ford Motor Co.

 

[MParr]

UAW common grid pay 2024 - 2028

https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Common-Grid-FG.pdf

As of Nov 15, 2025, the average hourly pay for an Uaw in Detroit is $21.18 an hour.

Oct 23 / 2025: The auto supplier industry in Michigan is losing nearly 450 jobs as two major supplier companies at 3 plants close shop due to volatility in the car industry related to electric vehicle production and the end of two SUVs made by Ford Motor Co.

It ashamed that the 2026 Ford Escape will end that vehicle. The Bronco Sport is a horrible looking vehicle. The Bronco Sport is boxy and ugly. There is less storage space behind the rear seat than the Escape.
I would never buy one.

 

[GON]

It ashamed that the 2026 Ford Escape will end that vehicle. The Bronco Sport is a horrible looking vehicle. The Bronco Sport is boxy and ugly. There is less storage space behind the rear seat than the Escape.
I would never buy one.

There is no question Ford is a lost organization. Ford has essentially given up on every vehicle market segment except frame on pickups. Yes, acknowledge the Maverick, but the Maverick is now where close to a game changer for Ford.

Ford needs a enemy. Apple had Microsoft as the enemy when Apple was down to ten dollars a share. Every organization needs an enemy to rally the workforce.

Can't imagine Ford being in business in the next 10-15 years. In the US market, nobody is buying Ford sedans (they don't sell any), no economy, no compact, no mud sized, no full size. Heck, I remember the Ford Explorer being so very popular in the 1990s today, I don't know a private person who owns a Explorer made in this decade.

Same with the Ford Escape. In the first decade of this century, lots of people buying the Escape. Today, I don't know a single person who owns a Escape manufactured in this decade.

Hate to say it, but Ford at this time seems like a rudderless ship in the middle of the ocean. Going nowhere, doesn't even know where it wants to go.

 

[SC Maintenance]

From the posted article: "The carmaker’s chief executive recognized the need to make a change in his workplace when he spoke to veteran employees during union contract negotiations and learned young Ford employees were working multiple jobs and getting inadequate sleep due to low wages, Farley said in an interview"

Hey Farley - pay better, maybe someone will want to work there.

The fact that they used Farley's name in the same sentence as the great Henry Ford is truly farcical. Henry Ford had some strange ideas, and he demanded people work hard, but he also paid double the prevailing rate - specifically so his workers could afford to buy his cars.

I don't have much use for this CEO.

 

[D60]

There is no question Ford is a lost organization. Ford has essentially given up on every vehicle market segment except frame on pickups. Yes, acknowledge the Maverick, but the Maverick is now where close to a game changer for Ford.

Ford needs a enemy. Apple had Microsoft as the enemy when Apple was down to ten dollars a share. Every organization needs an enemy to rally the workforce.

Can't imagine Ford being in business in the next 10-15 years. In the US market, nobody is buying Ford sedans (they don't sell any), no economy, no compact, no mud sized, no full size. Heck, I remember the Ford Explorer being so very popular in the 1990s today, I don't know a private person who owns a Explorer made in this decade.

Same with the Ford Escape. In the first decade of this century, lots of people buying the Escape. Today, I don't know a single person who owns a Escape manufactured in this decade.

Hate to say it, but Ford at this time seems like a rudderless ship in the middle of the ocean. Going nowhere, doesn't even know where it wants to go.

Actually I feel like you could also exchange "Ford" for "Stellantis" and it's true, too.

The latter gets the Wrangler and Ram.

The former has the F150 and maybe the new Bronco? I do see a lot of new Broncos on the road.

 

[MParr]

There is no question Ford is a lost organization. Ford has essentially given up on every vehicle market segment except frame on pickups. Yes, acknowledge the Maverick, but the Maverick is now where close to a game changer for Ford.

Ford needs a enemy. Apple had Microsoft as the enemy when Apple was down to ten dollars a share. Every organization needs an enemy to rally the workforce.

Can't imagine Ford being in business in the next 10-15 years. In the US market, nobody is buying Ford sedans (they don't sell any), no economy, no compact, no mud sized, no full size. Heck, I remember the Ford Explorer being so very popular in the 1990s today, I don't know a private person who owns a Explorer made in this decade.

Same with the Ford Escape. In the first decade of this century, lots of people buying the Escape. Today, I don't know a single person who owns a Escape manufactured in this decade.

Hate to say it, but Ford at this time seems like a rudderless ship in the middle of the ocean. Going nowhere, doesn't even know where it wants to go.

I own a 2025 Escape and love it.
Just how many of the former Big 3 auto makers are producing anything other than SUVs and Pickups?
I believe that Cadillac and Buick will be defunct before Ford.

 

[samven]

Ford has not even started to understand the depth of their problems. Making more trucks is not the issue its repairing the ones they have already sold. As more recalls come out and parts availability declines along with long lead times to even get your truck into a dealer because they dont have enough techs on top of the normal warranty repairs it wont be long before even their past reputation cant save them and nobody will buy a Ford Truck. And all this assumes that gas prices will stay low. Many of us went through the sky rocketing gas price era when you couldnt give a truck away and people flocked to small cars. When that happens what will Ford have to sell. They got out of the sedan market not because they didnt make a profit but because the profit was not big enough. I am seeing younger people now looking for sedans because they need better gas mileage and lower insurance rates and overall lower maint. costs. They dont even glance in the direction of a US auto maker. People are slow to change but even slower to change back. I still know people that were die hard US auto buyer that switched in the 70's and 80's to Japan and still wont buy a big 3 car to this day. I never owned anything but a Ford, Chevy or Dodge in 55 years of driving but this time I bought a Made in Japan Mazda. It hurt but the big 3 left me no choice.

 

[GON]

I own a 2025 Escape and love it.
Just how many of the former Big 3 auto makers are producing anything other than SUVs and Pickups?
I believe that Cadillac and Buick will be defunct before Ford.

Glad you love your Escape. If you plan to keep the Escape for a long time, might be a good idea to identify critical parts and stock up on them while they are available. Ford not only revises parts like crazy, Ford also seems very quick to "discontinue parts".

Supplementally Ford sold 308,000 Escapes in 2017. In 2024, Ford sold 133,000. Yes, I am aware some Escape buyers may have switched to Bronco Sport. My SIL has a 2024 Bronco Sport. In comparison, Toyota sold 475,000 RAV4 in 2024. Additionally, Toyota likely could have sold a whole lot more RAV4 in 2024, but Toyota limits production as part of their business plan. Toyota sold 3 RAV4 for every Escape. Why is that?

A manufacturer needs a rock solid entry level line of vehicles for young buyers to build loyalty. Looks at what Honda and Toyota have done. And when those in their young 20s buyers of Hondas and Toyotas turn 40+ years old, some of them upside to Acura and Lexus.

Not sure any of the Big 2 have a long-term viability plan. But the Big 2 have a great short-term plan for their leaders. Corporate jets, security details, pension plan that is separate from the employees.

Worth asking the question- what if Elon Musk led Ford? You think that maybe Ford would be producing vehicles for entry level buyers? You think reliability would increase significantly? I suspect so.

Lincoln is a great example of how lost Ford is. Lincoln came out with a nice-looking sedan just a few years ago, the Lincoln Continental. Ford offered numerous drivetrains, numerous interiors. Instead of making one drivetrain that was rock solid, Ford offered numerous drivetrains, hundreds if not thousand of different part numbers, and the volume for each drivetrain was so low, techs never became efficient on working any of the drivetrains. Same with the interior, so many seat choices, etc--- no easily to obtain parts, and not enough of any one interior sold for Ford to justify stocking parts in reserve. I posted on BITOG a few years back the unbelievably poor-quality control of the Continental body.

What would I do as Ford CEO? Pull an Elon and sleep on the factory floor for a few years. Invite retired guys to move to Michigan and be part of the crusade to reestablish the US as a leader in auto manufacturing. Make the best compact car in the world, get it right and keep it right. Close Ford's Mexican auto plants and move that capacity to Michigan, to demonstrate Ford's complete commitment to America.

 

[BrianF]

What? Ford having troubles?