Robot orders increase 40% in first quarter as desperate employers seek relief from labor shortages, report says

Employers around the country are increasingly turning to automated technology and robots to fill labor gaps.

It is not a new phenomenon, but it has become a salve for companies struggling to meet demand in a tight market, according to the Wall Street Journal. According to the Association for Advancing Automation, robot orders increased 40% in the first quarter of 2022.

David A. Zapico, CEO of Ametek Inc., said in November that people want to remove labor.

The job market is the tightest since World War II and businesses are having a hard time finding qualified workers.

In March, US job openings reached a record high of 11.5 million, and some experts have predicted the labor crisis may last for several years.

Machines are able to assist a growing number of industry sectors while at the same time becoming more accessible.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Michael Cicco, chief executive officer of industrial robot provider Fanuc America, said that the robots are becoming easier to use.

As robot usage increases, some are concerned that the labor crisis will lead to the displacement of human workers.

If automation goes very fast, it can destroy a lot of jobs. This is not permanent.