Auto mechanic shortage, delays seen growing

The auto technician field will see a 4 percent drop in the number of people in the work pool through the end of the decade — but the wave of retiring baby boomers will result in 100,000 tech job openings over the next decade or so, according to a recently released report.

CCC Intelligent Solutions’ annual Crash Course report, which analyzes data to spot trends in the automotive and repair industries, said the resulting staffing shortages will lead to longer collision repair times.

The average backlog for collision repair grew from 1.2 weeks in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 3.4 weeks during the same period in 2021, the report said. The average time for collision repair increased from 8.5 days to 10.6 days. And the average price for repair parts grew from $122 in 2019 to $136 in 2021.

Report author Susanna Gotsch, senior director and industry analyst at CCC, said the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, parts supply shortages, rising inflation, staffing issues, cutting-edge vehicle technology and shifting driving behavior has “forever changed” the automotive, claims, repair and collision industries.

“It’s perhaps one of the most challenging periods ever for businesses, but also one of the most exciting,” Gotsch says. 

Read the full report at cccis.com.