Labor Shortages and Automation: Why the Food Industry Is Turning to Machines

How Serious Is the Labor Shortage in Food?

Walk into any bun or dumpling factory, and the most common complaint from the owner is "we can't hire anyone." This isn't just a feeling; it shows up in official statistics:

• According to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) survey on employee turnover, at the end of August 2024 the food and feed manufacturing industry had about 150,700 employees and 4,080 vacancies, a vacancy rate of 2.64%; over the same period, manufacturing as a whole had 87,456 vacancies, a vacancy rate of 2.97%. DGBAS discontinued this vacancy survey from 2025.
• According to Ministry of Labor statistics, at the end of March 2026, manufacturing had about 103,000 vacancies, 35.6% of vacancies across all industries, with a vacancy rate of 3.5%; this data doesn't break out the food industry.

Behind the numbers are several long-term trends: skilled craftsmen are gradually retiring, young people are reluctant to enter work environments that require early starts, standing, and repetitive motion, and hiring migrant workers involves quota limits and management costs. For wheat-based food producers who rely mainly on hand-filling and forming, labor shortages directly limit output.

What Automation Can Solve

1. Output: However fast hand-made buns are, there's an hourly limit; machines deliver steady output. Taking Dong-Yih models as examples, the DY-201 Automatic Bun & Mantou Machine has an output of 2,000–12,000 pieces/hour, and the DY-528M Automatic Dough & Filling Portioning Machine 3,000–12,000 pieces/hour.

2. Consistency: Stable weight, wrapper-to-filling ratio, and shape for every piece mean fewer complaints and consistent freezing and heating quality. A divider can keep unit weight within a set range; for example, the DY-528M handles unit weights of 10g–30g or more.

3. Dependence on craftsmen: Once recipes and parameters are set, trained operators can produce; not everyone needs to be a master craftsman.

4. Hygiene: Less hand contact means fewer opportunities for cross-contamination.

5. Workload: Highly repetitive portioning and encrusting can be handed to machines, freeing people for quality control, packing, shipping, and other work.

What Automation Can't Solve

Machines aren't a cure-all; be prepared for the following before adopting them:

• Ingredients must be consistent: Machines are more sensitive than craftsmen to dough firmness and filling viscosity. If recipes, moisture content, or temperatures vary widely, forming quality will vary too, and recipes often need adjusting to suit the machine.
• People are still needed: Loading, tending the machine, washing, packing, and quality control still require staff; only the number of people and skills needed change.
• Cleaning time: The machine has to be disassembled and washed at the end of each day, and washing time must be built into the schedule.
• High-mix, low-volume may not pay off: If you change products many times a day, mold changes and washing may eat up the machine's efficiency.
• Handmade feel: Some products sell precisely on their hand-folded pleats and texture; the appearance and texture of machine-made versions should be confirmed with a trial run first.
• Maintenance: Wear parts must be replaced regularly, and someone needs to know basic maintenance.

RHEON of Japan's FAQ also notes that running a trial with your own ingredients before adopting a machine is the most direct way to confirm whether it suits you.

What to Think Through Before Adopting

1. Which stage is most short-staffed: Portioning, encrusting, forming, or packing? Start with the biggest bottleneck.
2. Products and volume: Which products and how much per day determine the machine size. When just starting, you can begin with the single most short-staffed step.
3. Space and power: Machine dimensions, workflow, washing area, and single-phase or three-phase power.
4. Trial run: Bring your own dough and fillings for a trial to confirm appearance, texture, and weight.
5. Staff training: Someone needs to learn operation, washing, and basic maintenance.
6. Funding: Look into government resources for R&D and smart investment; see government subsidies and smart machinery investment tax credits. Eligibility depends on the current year's announcements and provisions.

Safety reminder: Once a machine is in place, always stop it and cut the power before cleaning, adjusting, or clearing jams, lock out and tag out if necessary, and confirm it has completely stopped before reaching in.

To discuss which stage is best to automate first, please call Dong-Yih Machinery at 06-257-4644 or reach us through our contact information page; you can also refer to the equipment layout for a central kitchen.

FAQ

Q: Is the labor shortage in the food industry serious?
A: DGBAS statistics show food and feed manufacturing had 4,080 vacancies at the end of August 2024, a vacancy rate of 2.64%; Ministry of Labor statistics show manufacturing had about 103,000 vacancies at the end of March 2026, a vacancy rate of 3.5%.

Q: How many people can an encrusting machine save?
A: It depends on the products, volume, and current process. Machines replace repetitive actions such as portioning, encrusting, and forming, while loading, washing, packing, and quality control still need people; evaluate after an actual trial run.

Q: What can't automation do?
A: It can't make up for inconsistent ingredients, isn't suited to highly high-mix, low-volume schedules, still requires staff for washing and maintenance, and products with a handmade look need trial runs to confirm first.

Q: Can small shops automate too?
A: Yes. Start with a single step or with semi-automatic machines, and tackle the most short-staffed stage first.