BUSINESS: Employers woo Swiss style machinists

Holyoke, MA - U.S. machine shops are paying premiums to attract and hold highly skilled craftsmen known as "Swiss style" machinists.

The specialty was developed more than a century ago to make tiny, very precise gears and shafts for Switzerland’s watch industry, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

More recently, the specialty has been married to advanced computer-based production techniques that require users to have strong math skills. Those who acquire such skills are in strong demand.

Some "Swiss style" machinists have even been given signing bonuses from new employers.

Copyright: UPI