Everyone talks about tech layoffs and white-collar burnout, but there's a quieter workforce crisis that's arguably more dangerous—and it has nothing to do with Zoom fatigue.

Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company (F), isn't mincing words. During a November appearance on the "Office Hours: Business Edition" podcast, he laid out what he sees as an existential threat to America's economic and security infrastructure: a massive shortage of skilled workers in the trades. Over 1 million jobs sit empty across emergency services, trucking, plumbing, and factory work. And contrary to popular belief, it's not about low pay.

"We are in deep trouble when you compare us to China," Farley said. "We are not talking about this enough."

Six-Figure Jobs With No Takers

At Ford alone, the numbers are stark. Farley described 5,000 open positions—fully equipped bays with lifts and tools, but nobody to work them. The salary? Up to $120,000 a year. The catch? It takes about five years of training to get there, and the pipeline to develop that expertise has essentially collapsed.

This isn't just an inconvenience for automakers. Farley frames it as a national security risk. "God forbid we ever get in a war—Google's not going to be able to make the tanks and the planes," he said bluntly. Software innovation dominates headlines, but when things get serious, you need people who can actually build and fix physical things. Right now, that workforce is dangerously thin.

A Personal Mission

Farley's passion for this issue runs deep. His grandfather worked on the assembly line at Ford, building a middle-class life from nothing. "Those hardworking jobs made our country what it is," Farley said. "We do not have trade schools. We are not investing in educating a next generation… of people like my grandfather who had nothing, who built a middle-class life and a future for his family."

That personal connection drove Ford to become the first major automaker to ratify union agreements during recent labor negotiations. The company eliminated its two-tier wage structure, ensuring all workers earn the same pay and have a genuine career path. "I'm so proud of us," Farley said. "Now those people have a career at Ford like my grandfather."

The move came after COVID exposed just how broken the system had become. "Many of those people said, 'Mr. Farley, I work three jobs. Don't expect me to be on time at Ford when I have two other jobs,'" he recalled. The wage reform was Ford's answer—creating financial stability that makes it possible to actually commit to these careers.

The Real Problem: Access, Not Interest

Here's where it gets interesting. The narrative that young people don't want to work with their hands? It's wrong. Data from Cengage Group's Ready to Hire division tells a different story entirely.

In their March report on Gen Z and skilled work, they found that 98% of Gen Z jobseekers said they'd be more likely to pursue a trade if training were funded. Nearly 70% said they'd be "extremely likely" to enroll in a paid program that leads directly to employment.

The interest is there. The pay is definitely there. What's missing is the bridge connecting them. High training costs, limited awareness of opportunities, and unclear pathways into the workforce create barriers that enthusiasm alone can't overcome. Gen Z isn't avoiding these careers—they're being locked out of them.

A Call for Systemic Change

Farley's solution goes beyond Ford's doors. He's calling for public-private partnerships, education reform, and a cultural shift that restores respect for manual work. "If we work together like we always have in America… and we get after this with the government, with education… I think we can solve this. But we have a lot of work to do," he said.

For Farley, who credits these jobs with giving him the ability to attend graduate school, the stakes are both personal and existential. "I'm late in my life, and I'm very humbled," he said. As the head of a 122-year-old company, he sees filling these roles as essential not just to Ford's future, but to America's ability to function when it matters most.

The urgency isn't theoretical. When skilled trades disappear, so does the country's capacity to build, maintain, and defend itself. That's not a corporate problem—it's a national one. And according to Farley, the clock is ticking.