China accounted for 59% of global industrial robot installations in 2025, while U.S. deployments rose 12%, as Path Robotics Chief Revenue Officer Heather Carroll told Fox Business automation could address workforce shortages.
Data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) show China installed 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, a 20% increase from 2024. The United States installed nearly 38,500, making it the world’s second-largest market behind China.
In an interview published Oct. 16, Fox Business reported Carroll said manufacturers can be held back by difficulty accessing capital, uncertain demand and a lack of technical skills to put automation in place. She said artificial intelligence could make robots easier to deploy. “We do not have the workforce needed to do that,” Carroll said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a preliminary, seasonally adjusted 522,000 manufacturing job openings in August 2026, up from 416,000 a year earlier. The broad category does not identify how many openings were in skilled trades. The American Welding Society estimates the United States will need 320,500 new welding professionals by 2029; its projection includes current openings, industry growth and anticipated attrition.
Carroll pointed to Saronic Technologies’ Port Alpha shipyard project in Brownsville, Texas. The Port of Brownsville said Saronic broke ground on the project Sept. 30, backed by more than $3 billion in private investment. Saronic expects the yard to create as many as 10,000 direct jobs over the next decade. Its plans include production automation and design features intended to support robotic welding, along with technical training and apprenticeship pathways developed with regional institutions.
A separate physical-AI welding collaboration between Saronic and Path Robotics is planned for Saronic’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, according to the companies’ February announcement. John Morgan, Saronic’s head of manufacturing, said, “At Saronic, we are exploring how physical AI and automation can help advance shipbuilding operations.”
IFR reported more than 600,000 industrial robot installations worldwide in 2025 and forecast 655,000 for 2026, a 9% increase.
