Just read where the average hourly pay for workers at BMW in Spartanburg is $21/hr. Let's say Trump's tariffs drive increased demand for cars from the BMW plant. They open up a new line, hiring anyone they can find to fill the positions. They're offering $30/hr to workers on this new assembly line. No experience required, they will train you.
Would you quit your current job to go to work in an auto plant for $30/hr?
Would you quit your current job to go to work in an auto plant for $30/hr?[Results]
BMW offers United health care and Aspen dental benefits. Also matching 401K. Life insurance is available.
Now, this new Trump tariff inspired production line will allow for bonuses for quality work and overtime. After 2 years with good reviews your salary goes up to $36 an hour, the current top 1% of hourly jobs at the plant. Would you quit your job for $30 an hour with an opportunity to be in the top 1% of auto assembly line workers and make $36 an hour in just 2 years?
Would you quit your job and work in an auto plant for $36/hr after just 2 years?[Results]
I mean, I don't mind building BMWs on the patio, but you can't hear the band out by the railroad tracks and I don't think I could talk Porter or Rachael into bringing my beers all the way out there even if I way overtipped.
they have to pay for it, but it's a pretty good deal, and insurance is included. They usually don't let them go past like 15K miles so you're always driving a new car.
Especially in the south, those manufacturing jobs that left are not very much missed as people have moved on to mostly better jobs. It's different in other parts of the country though, where unions leveraged better wages for workers, before many of them too closed.
But the AVERAGE hourly wage in SC, total, overall, is higher than what manufacturing can offer.
Little forgotten side note, our SERVICES exports are over $1T. This would be your banking, insurance, streaming TV services (Netflix, etc.), travel, intellectual property, transportation, etc. These service-sector companies, which make up over 1/3 of our coveted EXPORTS, can be easy targets by countries impacted by tariffs. Netflix has more users in other countries than in the US.
Automotive generally pulls labor from other industries due to higher pay, which in turn drives those industries to automate. There's a reason there's a million machine integrators in the Upstate now.
a few hundred million $$ to build a new North American production facility in Piedmont that will employ around 700 people...Not counting the additional staffing tier 1 and 2 facilities will have to add to support them.
I'm pretty sure a large chunk of the country still thinks modern manufacturing looks like a 1920's assembly line with all the labor required.
At least that's what the unions used to do, according to a youtube I watched once.
I'd guess after a while every assembly station would get pretty routine. Personally, I'd want to volunteer for the more detail oriented assemblies so I wouldn't get bored doing it every day. I tend to think that be the engine / drivetrain marriage to the body station, but I might be wrong about that. Maybe body stamping is more detailed. I dunno.
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