Impact of the Economic Downturn on Employment in the meals Manufacturing Industry

The impact of the downturn on employment in the meals Manufacturing Industry today is worldwide. The US processed food sector had steady growth in the ten year period after 1997, with slight decline close to the end. Many used in the meals manufacturing industry are multinationals. Growth in processed food goods could be related to several factors, including two income families, less time in the home for food preparation, and more take home and restaurant food purchases. Over that ten year period, the worthiness of food shipments increased about 27 percent.

Many smaller food manufacturing companies are hit harder by economic downturns. They employ fewer people in food jobs; pay more for food products, deliveries, and for manufacturing costs than large companies. The few large companies hire more multinationals, who take into account about a third of most food industry jobs. About 89 percent of the smaller companies have significantly less than 100 workers. Many smaller companies are swallowed up in acquisitions by large companies.

The impact of the economic downturn on employment in the meals Manufacturing Industry affects automation and technology purchasing also, as these allow companies to operate at even higher output levels with fewer employees, increasing less employment in food manufacturing jobs. Employment for the reason that ten year period declined about 5 percent. Wages and salaries showed without any increase in comparison with the general economy (US) which had a projected growth of 11 percent.

Supermarkets have added more prepared meals with their shelves, and people want prepared to serve snacks and frozen entrees. This demand is due to two parent or single parent working families who have possibly more income yet less time for preparing food. It is not uncommon for families to consume out several times a week regularly instead of just on special occasions. An aging population and a dieting population has also contributed to the demand for convenience foods, prepared to eat, and restaurant foods. As ethnic populations of countries change with immigration, so do demands on the food manufacturing industry. A green trend towards eating locally produced food, organic foods, and medical allergy problems also affect food product demands and manufacturing costs.

Rising cost of fuel such as gasoline in addition has caused the impact of the economic downturn on employment in the Food Manufacturing Industry. A worldwide jump in costs for grains and vegetables has caused shortages of certain products and high prices everywhere. Some industries, like milk in the UK, are reducing products and employment as costs rise. The fight over corn and grains for food or fuel has costs skyrocketing, with a boomerang influence on stuff like beef, which not only has encountered rising costs for feed, but transportation and processing. The plumping of humans causes another increase in vegetable prices, as people want more products; this can be a supply and demand plus costs situation there.

Rising cost of ingredients has put the hammer down on small companies, like mom and pop bakeries or bagel companies, because they’re unable to absorb high prices of ingredients like flour or wheat. They raise prices, and could lay off employees to combat costs, where in fact the larger producers will get methods to absorb increases in commodity prices. Combine the stress of food product demands with rising energy costs and any adverse weather conditions, and the industry cannot help but feel the pinch and react by lowering employment overall.

During the past couple of years, there have been several catastrophic weather events, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes, that have wreaked havoc in people’s normal living conditions. The ability to obtain food, and to grow food is impacted by this, sufficient reason for higher energy costs and higher food demands worldwide, the price of all food products has risen. Competition between animals and humans is another factor, and so is competition between animal food stocks and fuel demands. Alternative energy sources, like solar and wind, and hybrid engines are one answer. To utilize food for fuel seems to not in favor of basic human sensibilities and interest. Using kernbohrung and wheat to power machines instead of humans is only going to increase food prices and lessen employment in the industry.

For the future, there is widespread demand to get from high costs of oil fuels, and to develop “free” fuels for powering machinery and electricity. Food production technology can be an ongoing science that does increase output per acre, a major benefit to the planet food supply. The weather, however, is beyond control. All that can be done in that area is way better longterm forecasting, and crop science improvements in output and planting techniques. There must be some increases in worldwide employment in those areas. The Food Manufacturing Industry, like numerous others in this modern day, must adjust and revise plans and make improvements to maintain its lifeblood.