How cobots are helping manufacturers overcome the workforce challenge

16 April, 2025

In fact, replacing just one employee can cost thousands of pounds when you factor in everything from recruitment to training. In the UK, the average cost to hire someone is around £3000, or 20-30% of their salary, with more senior roles driving up that cost even further.

The cost of not retaining staff can be even higher. A poor hire, for example, can cost a company 30% of their first-year salary, and 27% of businesses report that bad hires cost them more than £50,000.

Beyond financial strain, a bad hire can lead to a 36% drop in productivity too, making upskilling a more cost-effective and productive solution.

By investing in the growth of current employees and integrating cobots into the workflow, companies can boost satisfaction and loyalty, making employees less likely to leave and reducing additional financial burdens.

Safer environment

As mentioned, reducing the risk of injury is a key factor in attracting and retaining workers in the manufacturing sector.

In fact, Travelers Insurance’s studies have shown that implementing manufacturing automation, specifically cobots, can significantly decrease the occurrence of workplace injuries. This includes injuries caused by heavy lifting, contact with harmful objects and repetitive stress, with a reduction of up to 72%.

Just look at EVCO Plastics in Wisconsin, deploying cobots to handle the heavy lifting and placing of parts on the packaging line. This has not only created a safe working environment for workers but also led to cost savings through reduced workers’ compensation insurance premiums, due to a decrease in repetitive strain injuries.

We see automation as the way to improve efficiency and create a safer work environment. As well as keeping systems running and preventing unplanned downtime, we also help to reduce expenses while supporting efforts to bridge the skills gap.

That’s because cobots aren’t here to replace workers. They’re here to make manufacturing jobs more appealing by enhancing safety, reducing physical strain and providing pathways to skilled roles that keep people in the industry.

For further information please visit: https://foxmere.com

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