Staffing Woes Put U.S. Car Industry’s Remarkable Rebound at Risk
Not all major plants have gotten back to pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic—and some are moving in the wrong direction.
Tesla’s assembly plant in Fremont, Calif.
Photographer: Sam Hall/BloombergOn the surface, carmakers have staged a remarkable recovery toward pre-pandemic production. But within the walls of U.S. auto plants, it was incredibly challenging to pull off—and is proving difficult to sustain.
Manufacturers rushed to restart assembly lines months ago because sales stayed surprisingly buoyant in the midst of the pandemic. Several companies said they restored output completely within weeks after reopening, and the industry has avoided the nightmarish outbreaks seen at meatpacking plants. But along the way, automakers have been stretched thin by absenteeism, distancing protocols, quarantines and supply-chain constraints.