Champions for Change: Chris Ulbrich

“We need people,” says Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals Inc. CEO Chris Ulbrich. “We need people across the entire spectrum of manufacturing and all industries.”

Connecticut’s worker shortage crisis is the greatest threat to the state’s economic recovery, with the state’s labor force—the number of employed residents plus those actively looking for work—down 92,000 (5%) people since February 2020.

That’s a staggering 40% of the region’s labor force decline and more than 10% of the country’s losses, yet we are just 1% of the U.S. population.

At the same time, job openings in the state ballooned to 110,000 in December, a 64% increase over December 2020.

Ulbrich notes that policymakers have the power to invest in workforce development pipelines this legislative session and help change perceptions about the industry, a key component of Connecticut’s economy.