The Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA) has released its 2025 OEM Member Research: Trends in U.S. Workforce Gap and Solutions study. 

Conducted by Cypress Research Associates, the research involved surveying food equipment manufacturing companies to identify pressing workforce challenges and document solutions for attracting, training and retaining skilled talent.

The study, conducted during July and August 2025, included participation from 22 of the top 59 manufacturing companies. The research examines workforce challenges and solutions across multiple job categories, including fabricators, service technicians, engineers and sales professionals.

The research reveals opportunities for improvement in two areas that directly impact employee recruitment and retention:

Leadership Skills Development: The research found that 75% of fabricators and 64% of service technicians have leadership skill deficiencies at the time of hire or promotion. However, only 48% of companies currently have formal leadership training programs in place. This gap presents an opportunity for manufacturers to invest in developing the next generation of leaders within their organizations.

Career Pathway Communication: While 75% of companies identified "lack of awareness of company career pathways" as a moderate or significant recruitment challenge, only 64% are actively outlining clear career pathways to job candidates. This 11-percentage-point gap suggests that many organizations recognize the problem but have not yet implemented the solution — creating and communicating structured career progression opportunities.

"The intensifying workforce gap in U.S. food equipment manufacturing requires immediate action," says FPSA CEO Chris Lyons. "This research provides our members with data-driven insights into what's working and where opportunities exist to strengthen their workforce strategies. The findings around leadership development and career pathways are particularly actionable — these are areas where targeted investments can yield significant returns in employee engagement and retention."

In response to the research findings, FPSA will launch two new events in 2026 specifically focused on leadership training for emerging professionals in the food industry. These programs will provide members with practical tools and strategies to develop leadership capabilities identified as critical in the study.