The US poured over $52 billion into reviving domestic chip manufacturing. Now comes the part nobody budgeted enough for: finding the people to actually build and run the factories.
A growing shortage of skilled technicians, engineers, and construction workers is threatening to delay semiconductor fab construction across the country, according to projections from the Semiconductor Industry Association and Oxford Economics. Of the roughly 115,000 new jobs the industry needs filled by 2030, about 67,000 may go unfilled. That’s more than half the workforce the entire initiative depends on.
The $640 billion plan with a staffing problem
The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August 2022, allocated over $52 billion in federal incentives, which in turn helped catalyze more than $640 billion in private investments across 140 projects nationwide.
TSMC, the Taiwanese chipmaking giant building massive fabs in Arizona, has already reported delays in its production timelines. The culprit isn’t permitting or supply chains. It’s finding enough qualified people to handle the intricate equipment installation that advanced semiconductor manufacturing demands.
