Right now, labor market is doing very well, better than it has in 14 years or more. The amount of Manufacturing is going way up also, many plants are expanding and hiring. Wages are going up in Manufacturing also. I know every car parts manufacturer and both VW and Nissan are hiring in my area.
That said, Harley is doing the opposite as the rest of manufacturing. Harley sales are way down. Production is way down. They will be lucky to keep their jobs. The blame is not only Harley Managements, but also the board of directors, and investors. They did not plan for the rapid decline in sales due to Boomers dying and also deciding the cost of the product has gone up way to high.
HD needs less employees, and less production space, and reduced output.
While much of what you say is correct, most of Harley's issues can be traced back to management.
You gotta build what the market wants to buy. Harley has depended on Nostalgia to keep sales rolling, depended on buyers that only bought HD regardless, figuring there customers were willing to spend big bucks trying to fix shortfalls.
If you look past Harley in the motorcycle industry you will find bright spots. Honda is doing well with the new Goldwing. BMW has grown sales for 8 years straight. They are shooting for 200,000 sales by 2020. They are focused on new product, not simply upgrading one component at a time. Developing complete new bikes.
Harleys touring line is out of date, no longer competitive. More and more buyers today want performance, handling, comfort right off the showroom floor. A $45,000 CVO Glide should perform, Handle and deliver everything and more than a $27,000 Goldwing, BMW or other brand does and do it with style.
This is not the fault of the workers, it's management!
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