How cobots are helping manufacturers overcome the workforce challenge

16 April, 2025

According to a late 2024 survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, nearly 60% of employers cited “attracting and retaining a quality workforce” as a primary business challenge. With businesses struggling to find and keep skilled workers, companies are turning to a specific piece of equipment to plug the gap. .

Collaborative robots, or cobots, are predominantly designed to work alongside humans in shared workspaces, enhancing efficiency and safety.

Unlike traditional industrial robots that often need to work in isolation to ensure safety for the workforce, cobots are equipped with advanced sensors and adaptive algorithms to interact safely with human operators.

But did you know that, as manufacturers face challenges in hiring and retaining workers, many are turning to cobots to bridge the gap and support their workforce?

Upskilling

Take Emerson, one of the world’s leading engineering and automation companies, as an example. They’ve invested in FANUC cobots to handle tasks like stacking and palletising boxes, taping them together and prepping them for human workers to fill.

This enables companies to enhance worker satisfaction and productivity by freeing employees from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more impactful, skilled responsibilities and usually higher paid jobs.

Jeff Burnstein, president of Ann Arbor’s Advancement for Automation Association, reinforced this message by saying, “The types of tasks that robots do, generally, they’re dull jobs, dirty or dangerous jobs that people don’t want to do, so companies have a hard time finding people to do those kinds of jobs.

“Oftentimes we find the robot is actually allowing the person to do a better job. I can do something that allows me to use my brain more [like] oversee the system, which is oftentimes, a better, safer and higher-paying job, so we don’t see robots as replacements for people.”

Using cobots also helps reduce injury risks. Having a cobot lift heavy boxes instead of a person means fewer workplace hazards, something that can end up costing companies far more than the robot itself.

For example, a Universal Robots UR30 cobot kit, which can lift up to 30 kg and has a reach of just over 130 cm, is listed for $68,000 on Olympus Controls. For companies like Emerson, that’s a smart investment compared to the potential costs of workplace injuries.

Business case

On the topic of cost, alongside the need to retain staff, cobots play a key role in addressing the broader skills gap. According to a World Economic Forum report, by 2025, more than 50 per cent of employees globally will need to reskill or upskill.

From a financial perspective, upskilling helps avoid the significant costs associated with turnover. When employees leave, companies face expenses like recruiting fees, onboarding costs and the productivity loss from the gap left behind.