I think we have conflated factory jobs with good jobs.
The reason factory jobs were good jobs is because a substantial part of the industry was unionized.
There are exceptions. Tesla iis a good job, are was because a line worker could become a millionaire by forgetting the stock that was issued. But anyone that remembers Nortel will no the risks that that entails.
Further, the working conditions, not horrible dangerous conditions, but flexible work schedules and so on, can leave a worker unable to pick kids up from daycare.
For example, I work in the service industry (I think, telecommunications specifically) I am in the union and have not been promoted in 26 years. However, my pay has gone up by almost 200 percent. 20 to 55 dollars per hour. This pay is important. (I will note that this is not all wine and roses as retirement and health insurance cost sharing changes have cut deeply into take home pay.) But there is much more to a contract than the pay. We have seniority protection. The company cannot arbitrarily change our job title. As such they have difficulty pushing older less physical into more physical jobs in an effort to thin the herd.
Shoft changes cannot be abruptly pushed onto workers. The company is required to give a 48 hour notice of mandatory overtime. The company cannot, in fact must not allow a worker to work more the 16 hours straight.
This happens occasionally when there are unusual circumstances, but as a union steward I have to caution both the worker and the supervisor that the company rules along with contract rules demand a break after 16 hours. Failure to follow those rules can leave an employee terminated following an on the job accident and the company liable for millions in injury claims. Generally the rule breaking is done by the craftsman not the management.
Per the contract I get paid sick days, 5 at a time with longer than that moving to short term disability. I am home now recovering from sinus surgery. I will
lose no pay.I may be facing back surgery. If I do, I will have up to 6 months of full pay disability.
These are important wealth protections for wage earners. Most non union businesses do not have these protections against inflation and health issues.
When union jobs can support one person working 40 hours per week who supports a young family with those wages alone, then those jobs will be filled and retention will not be a problem. It does not matter if it is a manufacturing job or a service job.
Cheers
Qazulight