Desperately Seeking Car Repair

Most headlines about the auto industry are discouraging. You can't blame job seekers for not running to dealerships looking for careers. Consequently, there's a major shortage of workers in car sales and car repair. Go figure.

Car and truck sales are declining. Scared off by increasing gas prices, Americans are reining in their spending on things automotive. But even with the dip in sales, America is still the globe's auto Mecca.

Auto Repair Worker Shortage

There is a serious labor shortage at car dealerships and car repair shops. According to the Los Angeles Times, reporting from the annual meeting of the National Automobile Dealers Assn., which represents 20,000 car and truck dealerships, nearly all of the nation's automotive retail outlets are scrambling to find qualified people to sell cars and work in auto repair shops.

Help Wanted In Car Repair

"America's franchised auto dealers are hanging out the help-wanted sign all across the country," said Alan Starling, chairman of Auto Retailing Today, a coalition of major auto manufacturers and dealer groups that handles public relations for dealerships.

Bad press for car companies, especially American ones, is mainly the reason, industry observers say. And the hustler reputation that car dealers can never seem to shake is another.

Auto Sector's Bad Image

"We keep running into parents who don't want their children to get into the business because they have a bad image of it," said Denise Patton-Pace, an Auto Retailing Today spokeswoman. "But you can make a good living in this business."

The amount of help needed is bewildering. According to a Harris survey, there are a 42,198 jobs available in sales and 37,329 jobs in repair. There are also an estimated 7,120 administrative and clerical jobs open and another 6,903 slots available for managers.

Car Repair Wise Choice

Despite all the bad press, the automotive sector remains a wise enough career choice; those numbers speak for themselves.