New York, NY — Capturing the hearts and minds of new generations of talent is a goal of national Manufacturing Day. ThomasNet.com®’s sixth annual Industry Market Barometer (IMB) survey of American manufacturers shows a strong positive outlook for the 1,200 respondents, whose companies are growing, exploiting new technologies, and innovating for an even brighter future. But the IMB also surfaces a startling lack of urgency among companies when it comes to bringing in fresh talent. This threatens to stall an economic stalwart that contributed about $1.9 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product in 2012.

The respondents to this year’s IMB mirror today’s manufacturing workforce, which is heavily populated by workers who are 45 and older. With Generation Y, age 18-32, projected to make up 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, manufacturers need a collective “succession plan” to recruit them, and tap into their brainpower now. Yet, eight out of ten respondents report that this generation represents a small fraction of their employee base, and most don’t see that changing soon. Adding to the challenge is that three out of four IMB respondents, 73 percent, say negative perceptions are deterring young people from joining forces with them.

In short, manufacturing’s biological clock is silently ticking away. Yet, job openings abound for engineers, skilled trade workers, production managers, and sales and marketing professionals at manufacturing companies. These are opportunities for professionals wanting to use and even shape the latest technologies in everything from additive manufacturing to lean systems.