Labor shortage, US robot orders increased by 40% in the first quarter

Recently, according to foreign media reports, the US labor shortage is becoming more and more serious, many enterprises are turning to automation technology and robots.

U.S. robot orders rose 40% in the first quarter of this year and 21% overall in 2021, pushing the industry to a value of $1.6 billion, according to the Association for Advancing Automation.

David A. Zapico, chief executive of Ametek, A maker of automation equipment, noted that the company has been working at full speed to meet demand.

The US job market is facing its tightest conditions since World War II as the pandemic, high turnover rates and economic turmoil swirl around it. U.S. job openings climbed to a record 11.5 million in March, labor Department data showed, with 5.9 million unemployed, forcing companies to cut production and fueling inflation.

While automation is not a new concept, it is a solution to the recent labor shortage in the U.S. market. And as technology advances, robots are able to penetrate more and more industrial sectors with lower barriers to access and perform complex tasks that combine strength and flexibility.