Struggling to Keep Production or Field Personnel? 

Above: Workers install the façade of office tower Harwood No. 14 in Dallas, Texas. Photo by Ray Payne, C Ray Pictures, courtesy of Harmon Inc.

Glass fabricators continue to report labor as a top challenge, particularly when it comes to finding and keeping entry-level and skilled production personnel. This reflects a national trend among manufacturers in general, with 67% citing the inability to attract and retain employees as their biggest issue, according to a recent Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey from the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute. 

Labor remains a pain point for North American glaziers as well. In spring 2025, more than half of Glass Magazine’s Top 50 Glaziers said recruitment was their most difficult labor challenge, citing glaziers and field labor positions as the hardest to fill. In an environment where the construction and manufacturing communities are facing a labor shortage overall, how can glass companies fill these vital entry-level and skilled labor positions? While flexible work schedules and opportunities for advancement are important, robust benefit packages remain at the top of the pyramid when it comes to strategies to attract and retain employees. Nearly 80% of manufacturing executives responding to the most recent Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute Talent Study said competitive employee benefits packages are most impactful. 

Companies that can offer superior benefits are better positioned to keep their employee satisfaction levels high and their turnover rates low, according to Vault Consulting, which partners with the National Glass Association to produce the NGA Compensation & Benefits Study for Fabricating Companies. According to the 2025 study, all of the glass fabricators that reported offering benefits provide medical (100%), followed by vision (85%) and dental (85%). Similarly, all companies reported offering paid leave (100%), with the majority offering paid sick leave (71%). Among retirement benefits, a 401K with company match was the most popular and offered by 68% of fabricators. 

For contract glaziers, the 2025 NGA Compensation & Benefits Study for Contract Glazing Companies revealed that nearly all contract glaziers offering benefits provide medical (98%), followed by dental (91%) and vision (76%). Companies offering 401K with company match came in slightly higher than fabricators at 71%. 

In today’s market where labor is at a premium, you can’t afford to not offer a competitive employee benefits package. To see how your company measures up, download the NGA Compensation & Benefits Studies from the NGA store at glass.org.