Should US manufacturing jobs be pulled back home?

A recent debate at Deloitte looks at the gap in structural costs between the US and offshore manufacturing operations. The profit margins that were once the darling of the offshore industry are quickly eroding. The debate asks, to regain competitive advantage should manufacturing jobs be pulled back to the US?

We recommend checking out all the counter points their article has generated but to summarize the take from Deloitte Partner Dmitri Shiry;

Some companies in some industries are looking hard at jumping on the repatriation bandwagon. This is especially true for those where the intellectual property and quality risks of offshore operations aren’t worth the benefits of lower manufacturing costs. If the U.S. is going to reestablish manufacturing as a catalyst for growth during the next cycle of economic recovery, that trend will need to continue and expand.

And from Principle Tom Morrison;

As companies consider and shift production to U.S. sites, they will face growing challenges in finding and keeping the right set of employees. Skilled technicians, plant operators, and engineers may be hard to find. Innovative approaches to training, development, and retention can help improve the availability of workers with the right skills and the incentive to stay. Relative to many countries around the world, the U.S. and many states do not offer the types of training programs and incentives that can be found in other countries to assist in developing the right skills, exacerbating the shortage. Companies should consider investments and partnerships with local technical schools, community colleges and universities as a means of building talent pools and pipelines. We believe these training and development partnerships will be critical for new skilled workers and ongoing training to keep the workforce up to date. Companies and communities with plans and a commitment to skills development and retention will likely have a leg up.