Robots Pick Up More Work at Busy Factories in U.S.

Left  Robot can apply more force with a grinding tool than a human can, reducing the amount of time needed to create a smooth welded joint. Photos by Sergio Flores for The Wall Street Journal

Robots are turning up on more factory floors and assembly lines as companies struggle to hire enough workers to fill rising orders.

Orders for workplace robots in the U.S. increased by a record 40% during the first quarter compared with the same period in 2021, according to the Association for Advancing Automation, the robotics industry's trade group.