A US Commerce Department report says the computer chip shortage is even worse than thought; at one point in 2021 there was just a five-day supply worldwide, and there’s no sign the situation will improve anytime soon.
Senior Reporter, Computerworld | JAN 26, 2022 1:03 PM PST
The global semiconductor shortage made worse by the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain issues shows no signs of improving as industries worldwide have had to halt production while waiting for processors.
A report from the US Department of Commerce released this week revealed an “alarming” shortage of computer chips at a time when the median demand for them was as much as 17% higher in 2021 than 2019.
“This is a major supply and demand mismatch,” the report stated.[ Further reading: Diversity and inclusion make IT stronger ]
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the lack of chip inventory leaves auto manufacturers and other chip users with “no room for error.”
“It’s alarming, really, the situation we’re in as a country, and how urgently we need to move to increase our domestic capacity,” Raimondo said while presenting her agency’s findings.
A recent surge in coronavirus cases in Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines has further exacerbated problems in an already hobbled computer chip manufacturing and supply chain industry.
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