Front Line: Satisfying the Semiconductor Industry’s Workforce Needs

In July, chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) announced it was postponing the start of production at its new factory in Arizona. The firm says chip manufacturing will no longer start next year, due to a shortage of skilled workers.

The announcement came at a crucial time for the U.S. semiconductor industry. In August 2022, President Biden signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which will provide about $280 billion in new funding over the next decade to help grow domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors.

A number of chipmakers have responded by announcing plans to build new plants. Along with the Arizona plant, those include Samsung’s plans for a $17 billion facility near Austin, Texas, and Intel’s groundbreaking for the first of two large fabrication plants worth $20 billion in Ohio. Intel is one of the few companies producing all of its silicon chips in the U.S.

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