Manufacturers in the United States are experiencing some of the highest levels of growth seen in decades, yet the industry seems unable to keep up with the resulting rebound in job growth. Five out of 10 open manufacturing positions in US are staying unoccupied thanks to the skills gap.

Jobs requiring digital talent, supply chain talent, skilled production, or roles for operational managers will be three times as hard to fill in the next three years. Nearly two million vacant new jobs are expected by 2028, compounded by 2.69 million vacancies from retiring workers. So the number of open positions could be greater than ever.

The problem is threefold: a negative perception of manufacturing, a shift in desired skill sets owed to the intro of advanced technologies, and baby boomers retiring. Despite renewed interest in domestic manufacturing, and an uptick in some areas, the workforce crisis is casting a bleak pallor over the industry’s future.

Over the next three years, the inability to fill open positions is expected to have the greatest impact on manufacturing companies that are maintaining or increasing production levels to satisfy growing customer demand. Thanks to technological change, the industry overall is trending toward jobs—including entry-level jobs—that are high-skilled and require irreplaceable human skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, design and innovation.