Contrary to What You Read in the Post, Manufacturing Companies Do Not Have That Many Job Openings

A Washington Post article headlined, "why so many U.S. manufacturers are putting up 'help wanted' signs might have led readers to believe that this is a great time for anyone looking for a job in manufacturing. That is not the case, according the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to the JOLTS data, the job opening rate in manufacturing has been 2.6 percent for the last three months. This is small decline from the rate earlier in the...