A report from the Plastics Industry Association [PLASTICS] finds that employment in the plastics manufacturing sector has rebounded, regaining most of the nearly 61,000 jobs lost last year in the early days of the pandemic.
According to PLASTICS Chief Economist Perc Pineda, jobs in the sector fell from 592,100 in March of 2020 to 531,200 in April 2020. He said that statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics put the employment number at 589,200 this May.
Pineda reported that it remains to be seen whether the supply of skilled labor will increase after the extended unemployment benefit expires in September. However, he noted that skilled workers were in demand even before the pandemic, and that monthly job gains may well continue to be spotty in the near term.
