LoginWhile several large auto-industry plants were filing for bankruptcy just a few years ago, they finally have time to rejoice as employment in the sector has reached the highest level since summer 2008. According to The Detroit News, rising sales and demand for automobiles have breathed life back into the once-failing industry.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that jobs in auto factories and retail stores increased by 3,400 in January. Automakers and parts added around 47,000 positions in 2013 while dealers brought 42,000. Total, the industry employs nearly 2 million Americans. Although the National Auto Dealers Association reports that the number of franchised new-car dealerships has decreased significantly over the years, the demand for cars has risen.
In addition to a greater number of cars and jobs being made, the average wage for workers went up as well. Over the past year, employees in the production and non-supervisory sector saw a $0.29 an hour raise.
Michigan produced the highest amount of employment opportunities in the automotive trade, with more than 110,000 workers in the sector in December 2013. The second-highest state was Indiana, which employed 56,000 people.