More factories have been turning to automation to fill jobs meant for workers, not to seek lower costs, but because reliable workers are in a shortage. In one Wisconsin factory, many jobs went unfilled because workers either never showed up, were jailed for drug possession, or simply because the company could not find qualified workers. According to economists, this is one part of a labor shortage that is spreading across America due to factors such as low unemployment, the retirement of baby boomers, younger generations being unwilling to take factory jobs, and the growing opioid crisis. While in the past, companies might raise wages until positions were filled, automation is now a cheaper alternative.
See "Factories in search of reliable workers turn to robots", Chico Harlan, Chicago Daily Herald, August 14, 2017