Vitality Data analytics to develop personalized benefits will boost productivity, recruiting and retention. The labor shortage is hitting agribusiness particularly hard. With manufacturing overall adding approximately 8 3.8 million positions between now and 2033, food and beverage manufacturing will need to improve recruiting and productivity to keep pace. The story is similar in forestry and wood products: The average age of a logging business owner is over 55, and the number of younger people looking to enter the 9 Agribusinesses can find creative solutions around industry is shrinking. engagement by leaning into data. Food and beverage In addition, these agribusiness jobs can be physically production has different challenges than most challenging and sometimes dangerous, making it difÏcult manufacturers, as turnover can be high and the work to recruit and retain employees. Increasing wages is only seasonal. That demands personalized benefits that part of the solution, and even then, it doesn’t always produce quality employee experience (QEX), which helps produce new employees. attract new workers and improve productivity. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can streamline repetitive tasks on production lines, while helping increase 8. Deloitte, “US Manufacturing Could Need as Many as 3.8 Million productivity and fill the need for some positions. But New Employees by 2033, According to Deloitte and The while automation and AI are improving, it’s not always as Manufacturing Institute,” April 3, 2024. efÏcient or accurate as human labor. What's more, the 9. The Hill, “Jobs in the Woods Act addresses workforce challenges of forestry,” September 10, 2023. expense of automation and AI puts it out of reach for many agribusinesses, which have slight margins and little budget for maintenance and repair. According to the HUB survey, two-thirds of agribusiness industry respondents listed productivity as a top HR priority for 2025, the most commonly selected option. 4