When Viega LLC began hiring for its new factory in northeast Ohio last year, company officials ran traditional “help wanted” ads, retained outside recruiters, created a special website and even posted openings on roadside billboards.

Nothing worked. Viega used all the customary tools, and yet for months, the maker of plumbing and HVAC systems had little to show for its efforts. With area unemployment low, Viega’s requirement that new hires endure a lengthy training program four states away did not help.

The company’sstruggle reflects a chronic shortage of manufacturing workers that could imperil the domestic factory boom that President Donald Trump has promised will result from his protectionist trade policy. Nationwide, manufacturers report 409,000 job openings, a number that is likely

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